5 takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
The UFC was back at the Las Vegas APEX last night for a Fight Night event. Despite a few canceled fights and a lack of star power, the event turned out well.
UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates saw a number of violent finishes, with very few dull fights up and down the card. So, despite this being an event with lesser name value, it still produced a number of talking points.
Here are five takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates.
#5. This event was a counterpoint to the argument on the number of UFC shows
The UFC's last trip to the Las Vegas APEX took place on Oct. 19 and was widely considered the worst show of 2024 to date.
That event saw just two of 11 fights end in finishes and once again brought up the argument that the promotion simply produces too many events these days.
Last night's card, then, was the counterpoint to that argument.
Despite a lack of big names - and a number of scrapped fights and late changes - it was a fantastic show by all metrics. Not only did just three of the 11 bouts go the distance, but nearly every fight on offer had something to enjoy.
What's more, the likes of Da'Mon Blackshear, Charles Radtke, and Mansur Abdul-Malik made the most of an opportunity to fight on an event with low star power and snatched plenty of spotlight for themselves.
Basically, if every event was like this one, nobody would complain if the UFC put on a show every single weekend.
#4. Mansur Abdul-Malik could be the middleweight division's new action hero
The middleweight bout between Dusko Todorovic and UFC newcomer Mansur Abdul-Malik was always going to be an easy choice for a main card showcase last night. After all, Todorovic was bringing in a 92 percent finish rate, while Abdul-Malik had never gone the distance in his six-fight career.
In the end, the debutant came away with his hand raised in a highly impressive and entertaining showing.
It took Abdul-Malik just under three minutes to dispatch his Serbian foe with a violent TKO, dropping him twice along the way. Based on this showing, not only does the debutant possess huge striking power, but he also fights with the kind of devil-may-care attitude that should attract the attention of Dana White.
It's too early to label him a contender at 185 pounds, of course, but Abdul-Malik may well be the division's new action hero. It wouldn't be a surprise at all if the $50k bonus he earned last night is the first of many.
#3. Da'Mon Blackshear is still a man worth watching at 135 pounds
Coming into last night's clash with Cody Stamann, Da'Mon Blackshear was at a crossroads of sorts.
Despite it not feeling that long ago since he had a lot of hype around him, largely based on his twister submission of Jose Johnson, 'Da Monster' had lost his last two fights.
Sure, those losses came to two fighters now ranked in the top 15 in Mario Bautista and Montel Jackson, but a defeat to Stamann could still have ended Blackshear's UFC career.
Instead, 'Da Monster' impressed hugely. Not only did he defeat 'The Spartan', but he looked great in doing so, submitting him late in the first round after hurting him with a heavy knee strike.
The finish meant that Blackshear joined just two other fighters - Said Nurmagomedov and Aljamain Sterling - in stopping Stamann. 'The Spartan' is not what he once was, but to see him submitted was still impressive.
Essentially, this win should bring at least some of the hype back around Blackshear's name. 'Da Monster' is still a man to watch closely at 135 pounds.
#2. Reinier de Ridder's UFC debut was slightly sloppy, but still impressive
A former two-division titleholder in ONE Championship, Reinier de Ridder's UFC debut was definitely one of the most intriguing things on offer last night.
In the end, 'The Dutch Knight' came out on top in his fight with Gerald Meerschaert, even if the clash itself felt like an odd and somewhat sloppy one overall.
At times, it felt like the two men were almost telegraphing some of their exchanges, particularly on the ground, like they'd planned the fight out like pro-wrestling.
That wasn't the case, of course. In reality, the two fighters appeared to tire out quickly, explaining the number of positional reversals in the bout as well as the various ebbs and flows.
Was de Ridder's win impressive, then? On one hand, he didn't show anything to suggest he can worry the top-15 middleweights in the UFC. On the other hand, 'GM3' is hardly an easy out for anyone and remains a hugely dangerous finisher in all areas.
Therefore, it's likely that we'll only find out de Ridder's ceiling when he fights again. If nothing else, though, this fight was fun to watch, meaning 'The Dutch Knight' should be offered another main card showcase next time out.
#1. Carlos Prates has unusual striking power
The most memorable moment of last night's event definitely came in the headliner. It took Carlos Prates just under five minutes to prove to everyone that he's a genuine threat to any fighter in the UFC's welterweight division.
'The Nightmare' dismantled tough gatekeeper Neil Magny, knocking 'The Haitian Sensation' around the octagon with his striking before dispatching him via knockout.
However, while most of today's focus will be on how Prates is "for real," something that is undeniable, it's almost more interesting to look at exactly what led to the fight ending.
That's because, at a glance at least, it was hard to tell exactly what caused Magny to go down face-first, clearly separated from his consciousness. Replays seemed to suggest that the veteran had eaten a very short left hand to the temple, and if it was definitely that shot that knocked out Magny, it means one thing: Prates has absolutely insane power in his shots.
In fact, the closest thing we've seen to this knockout before would probably be Conor McGregor's famed knockout of Dustin Poirier in 2014, and everyone knows how that story ended.
Whether Prates reaches those heights remains to be seen, but based on this, 'The Nightmare' has the power to take out anyone. Whoever he faces next is in serious trouble.