Carlos Prates has harsh phrases for followers who consider Neil Magny didn’t give it his all.
On Saturday night time, Prates confronted Magny in the primary occasion of UFC Vegas 100, knocking out the longtime UFC veteran on the finish of the primary spherical. It was the fourth end of Prates’s 2024 marketing campaign, and earned him his fourth efficiency bonus of the 12 months, however the end was not with out some detractors.
Although Prates dropped Magny early within the spherical, the ending blow that face-planted “The Haitian Sensation” was a curious little left hook that appeared to clip Magny’s temple as a substitute of land flush like many followers have come to anticipate with such knockouts. Because of this, some followers took to social media to query Magny’s willingness to battle, even suggesting Magny took a dive. However Prates has no time for that nonsense.
“I feel they need to come right here and let me give a punch on his head,” Prates stated in his post-fight scrum. “Then after they’ll speak.
“ once I fought Li Jingliang? It was the identical the primary knockdown. I hit his head after which he goes down. I feel Neil Magny was the identical. I practice a number of boxing, many occasions. Perhaps 4 occasions per week. Bro, my hand, once I punch you, regardless of how or the place, you’re going to get damage.
“On the pinnacle is totally different on the face. On the face you get somewhat bit dizzy. However on the pinnacle you chop your legs and don’t really feel nothing and then you definately come again. So I feel folks speaking shit, they need to come right here and let me hit his head after which they’ll speak after.”
Magny at the moment holds various UFC divisional information together with most fights, wins, strikes, and selections in UFC welterweight historical past. His 34 fights within the promotion make him tied with Jeremy Stephens at sixth-most fights all-time within the UFC. So given his lengthy historical past with the UFC and quite a few accolades, it’s truthful for Prates to present little credence to the concept Magny merely wished out.
What Prates does give credence to is the place he goes from right here. Magny is at the moment ranked No. 15 within the UFC welterweight rankings, which means Prates is more likely to take his spot when these replace this coming week. Quickly to be a ranked fighter in simply his first 12 months with the promotion, Prates now hopes he can maintain this speedy upward momentum with a battle towards No. 4-ranked contender Jack Della Maddalena when the UFC heads to Maddalena’s residence nation of Australia in February for UFC 312.
“To be sincere, I feel the most suitable choice can be towards Jack Della Maddalena, however you’ve got the rank,” Prates stated. “I feel he’s No. 4 and possibly subsequent Tuesday I might be 15. So I don’t know if he’s going to just accept the battle. Additionally, if the UFC goes to do this battle, in the event that they suppose it’s attention-grabbing or one thing like that. But when it’s up to now and the UFC and Jack Della Maddalena don’t agree with that battle, I’d be comfortable combating towards Geoff Neal most likely can be cool.”
And if neither of these work out, that’s superb too. For Prates, even making this far is already a dream, and one that’s rapidly altering his life.
“It’s a dream,” Prates stated about his unbelievable 2024 run. “A number of years in the past — not a number of years in the past, I feel two years in the past, one 12 months and a half I used to be combating for possibly $200. Now I’m doing some huge cash. It’s a dream. I labored arduous for this for a few years and I’m actually comfortable.”
