UFC Vegas 100 hits the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, as an interesting stylistic clash at welterweight headlines the event with veteran Neil Magny facing the surging Brazilian knockout artist Carlos Prates.
Click here to watch UFC welterweight Carlos Prates’ media day. Footage via ‘MMA Junkie’ on YouTube.
UFC Vegas 100 Main Event: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
UFC Vegas 100’s main event matchup features a contrast in styles as welterweights No. 15-ranked Neil Magny (29-13-0) takes on unranked knockout artist Carlos Prates (20-6-0) over five rounds.
One of the UFC’s most exciting budding stars, Carlos Prates, looks to ascend into the top 15 welterweight rankings as he challenges the battle-tested Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 100.
Prates, 31, comes into this main event fight riding an astounding ten-fight win streak dating back to 2019. The Brazilian has racked up a 3-0 record inside the UFC, with all wins coming via KO/TKO.
Racking up highlight reel finishes over the likes of Jingliang Li, Charles Radtke, and Trevin Giles. His most recent appearance came in August on UFC 305 when he knocked Jingliang out cold.
Magny, 37, comes into this tough UFC Vegas 100 main event matchup being 2-3 in his last five fights, his two wins coming against Mike Malott and Phil Rowe. Magny’s most recent appearance inside the cage saw him suffer a first-round TKO loss to undefeated Michael Morales.
That said, I see Prates, the younger and more momentous fighter, establishing his offense on the feet early on until scoring a finish in the early to middle rounds.
Prates should take the center of the cage as soon as the fight starts and establish a kicking range from there. The Brazilian striker will prioritize the low kicks early on until nullifying Magny’s movement.
Once the kicks are established, Prates will mix up his punches and knees. I expect Prates to hurt and finish Magny within the first three rounds.
Magny’s best route to victory will be centered around weathering the early storm of Prates’ striking. If he can survive early on, look to close the distance and threaten the clinch or takedowns against the cage.
Magny must look to outlast Prates and drag him into the deep waters of the later rounds.
Prediction: Prates via KO/TKO R2
UFC Vegas 100 Co-main Event: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier De Ridder
Potentially the most intriguing matchup of the UFC Vegas 100 event comes in the co-main event as unranked middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert (37-17-0) welcomes the highly-touted Reinier De Ridder (17-2-0).
The UFC could have one of its most promising prospects after Saturday’s UFC Vegas 100 event as former two-weight ONE Championship champion Reinier De Ridder makes a long-awaited debut against the gritty veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
Meerschaert, 36, comes into this high-stakes matchup 3-2 in his last five fights and is currently riding a two-fight win streak. He has racked up impressive wins over Edmen Shahbazyan, Bryan Barberena, and Bruno Silva.
De Ridder, 34, makes his UFC debut coming off a first-round TKO win over Magomedmurad Khasaev in July. The Dutchman is the former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion.
That said, I see De Ridder being able to work Meerschaert against the cage, where he can impose his game plan.
De Ridder will be looking to press Meerschaert against the cage, where he can utilize knees and elbows from the clinch. De Ridder will use these strikes to set up an opening for a takedown against the cage.
I rate De Ridder’s grappling ability over Meerschaert’s, which is where I see this fight resorting to. If De Ridder is to get Meerschaert to the mat, he will look to either threaten submissions from the back or secure a dominant top position where he can rain down ground and pound.
Ultimately, I see De Ridder maintaining a consistent ground attack on Meerschaert until eventually securing either an Arm Triangle choke or a rear naked choke in this UFC Vegas 100 co-main event.
Prediction: De Ridder via Submission R2
Other Fights on UFC Vegas 100
Main Card:
- (W 115 lbs.) Luana Pinheiro (11-3-0) vs. Gillian Robertson (14-8-0): Robertson via Submission R2
- (185 lbs.) Mansur Abdul-Malik (6-0-0) vs. Dusko Todorovic (12-4-0): Abdul-Malik via KO/TKO R2
Prelims:
- (W 115 lbs.) Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-8-0) vs. Denise Gomes (9-3-0): Gomes via Decision
- (135 lbs.) Gaston Bolanos (7-4-0) vs. Cortavious Romious (9-2-0): Romious via Submission R2
- (170 lbs.) Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-8-1) vs. Zachary Scroggin (7-0-0): Zaleski dos Santos via Decision
- (170 lbs.) Matthew Semelsberger (11-7-0) vs. Charles Radtke (9-4-0): Semelsberger via Decision
- (135 lbs.) Cody Stamann (21-7-1) vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (14-7-1): Blackshear via Decision
- (185 lbs.) Tresean Gore (5-2-0) vs. Antonio Trocoli (12-4-0, 1NC): Trocoli via Submission R3
- (W 135 lbs.) Melissa Mullins (6-1-0) vs. Klaudia Sygula (6-1-0): Mullins via Decision
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