After Carlos Prates defeated Neil Magny by first round knockout in the UFC Vegas 100 main event, he will supplant the longest tenured UFC welterweight in the rankings.
‘The Haitian Sensation’ has not been outside of the top-15 since nearly a decade ago, but at age 37 it appears unlikely he will ever hold a ranked spot again.
As for Prates, the rising Fighting Nerds star debuted this year and is already ranked due to scoring four straight walkoff KOs, an almost unheard of feat.
That star power got him a main event as an unranked fighter, but now he will be at least #15.
His callout of Geoff Neal makes perfect sense, as Geoff’s only win in his last three is via injury against a 40-year-ole RDA.
Still, ‘Handz of Steel’ will be by far Prates’ toughest test to date as a well-rounded fighter with an iron chin and crisp boxing.
As for Magny, it is entirely possible he retires soon. If not, he will have to face another rising unranked athlete.
The perfect fit to that bill is Themba Gorimbo. Beating Magny now will not push him straight into the rankings, but it would be a fifth straight win for the inexperienced but athletic fighter from Zimbabwe.
Alternatively, Neil may prove to the world that he is not quite done yet. As a career gatekeeper he has stopped many a young contender in their tracks before.
