Brett Okamoto, ESPN Workers AuthorNov 9, 2024, 10:01 PM ET
Going into 2024, only a few struggle followers had been aware of Carlos Prates. That won’t be the case going into 2025.
Prates (21-6) put what in all probability would be the completion on his 2024 marketing campaign Saturday, as he knocked out veteran Neil Magny (29-13) with a straight left hand in the principle occasion of UFC Combat Night time in Las Vegas. The victory was Prates’ first in a UFC important occasion and moved him to 4-0 within the Octagon this 12 months, with all 4 wins coming by knockout. It in all probability may even transfer Prates into the UFC’s top-15 rankings at welterweight.
“I’m feeling superior,” Prates stated. “This has been the perfect 12 months of my life, of my profession. In 10 months, three [fight night] bonuses. It has been a number of exhausting work from me and my workforce.”
The 31-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of the surging Combat Nerds camp in Sao Paulo, referred to as for his subsequent matchup to return in opposition to Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena in February in Sydney.
The knockout, which got here within the closing 10 seconds of the opening spherical, was in all probability the perfect but of Prates’ younger profession within the UFC. Magny, 37, acquired off to a ok begin as he regarded to crash Prates into the fence, take him down and easily put on him out any approach attainable. He landed some respectable punches on the ft and held Prates up in opposition to the fence within the clinch.
However Prates’ accuracy and energy shortly turned the struggle in his favor. He damage Magny with a really brief counter elbow throughout an alternate, and calmly pursued him across the Octagon as Magny tried to get well. Finally, he landed the straight left to Magny’s temple, which resulted in a highlight-reel, walk-off knockout. The blow did not even land cleanly, because it partially grazed off Magny’s glove.
Prates earned a UFC contract as a contestant on Dana White’s Contender Collection in August 2023. He has now knocked out his previous 10 opponents.Carlos Prates KO’s Neil Magny to cap 2024 with 4-0 file
