Carlos Prates has harsh words for fans who believe Neil Magny didn’t give it his all.
On Saturday night, Prates faced Magny in the main event of UFC Vegas 100, knocking out the longtime UFC veteran at the end of the first round. It was the fourth finish of Prates’s 2024 campaign, and earned him his fourth performance bonus of the year, but the finish was not without some detractors.
Though Prates dropped Magny early in the round, the finishing blow that face-planted “The Haitian Sensation” was a curious little left hook that seemed to clip Magny’s temple instead of land flush like many fans have come to expect with such knockouts. As a result, some fans took to social media to question Magny’s willingness to fight, even suggesting Magny took a dive. But Prates has no time for that nonsense.
“I think they should come here and let me give a punch on his head,” Prates said in his post-fight scrum. “Then after they can talk.
“You know when I fought Li Jingliang? It was the same the first knockdown. I hit his head and then he goes down. I think Neil Magny was the same. I train a lot of boxing, many times. Maybe four times per week. Bro, my hand, when I punch you, no matter how or where, you’re going to get hurt.
“On the head is different on the face. On the face you get a little bit dizzy. But on the head you cut your legs and don’t feel nothing and then you come back. So I think people talking shit, they should come here and let me hit his head and then they’ll talk after.”
Magny currently holds a number of UFC divisional records including most fights, wins, strikes, and decisions in UFC welterweight history. His 34 fights in the promotion make him tied with Jeremy Stephens at sixth-most fights all-time in the UFC. So given his long history with the UFC and numerous accolades, it’s fair for Prates to give little credence to the idea that Magny simply wanted out.
What Prates does give credence to is where he goes from here. Magny is currently ranked No. 15 in the UFC welterweight rankings, meaning Prates is likely to take his spot when those update this coming week. Soon to be a ranked fighter in just his first year with the promotion, Prates now hopes he can keep this rapid upward momentum with a fight against No. 4-ranked contender Jack Della Maddalena when the UFC heads to Maddalena’s home country of Australia in February for UFC 312.
“To be honest, I think the best option would be against Jack Della Maddalena, but you have the rank,” Prates said. “I think he’s No. 4 and probably next Tuesday I will be 15. So I don’t know if he’s going to accept the fight. Also, if the UFC is going to do that fight, if they think it’s interesting or something like that. But if it’s so far and the UFC and Jack Della Maddalena don’t agree with that fight, I would be happy fighting against Geoff Neal probably would be cool.”
And if neither of those work out, that’s fine too. For Prates, even making this far is already a dream, and one that is quickly changing his life.
“It’s a dream,” Prates said about his incredible 2024 run. “A few years ago — not a few years ago, I think two years ago, one year and a half I was fighting for maybe $200. Now I’m doing a lot of money. It’s a dream. I worked hard for this for many years and I’m really happy.”
