UFC Betting Preview: Carlos Prates Seeks Opportunity Bust Through the Gate(keeper) Neil Magny

Carlos Prates has the traits of an interesting welterweight contender in the UFC. Most importantly, Prates is a finisher in a time period when the UFC saw a noticeable decline in knockouts. But perhaps more interestingly, Prates has gained a reputation for his post-fight routine.

Following Prates’ three wins on the UFC’s main roster, all via knockout, he was seen smoking cigarettes somewhere in the city he fought in. There is never a shortage of interesting characters in the UFC. When it comes to MMAfighting latest news, there is a thought that if Prates continues to fight well, he may be able to move from an interesting side character to a serious contender.

Fighting Neil Magny this weekend is a good start for any fighter who wants to climb the ladder. Magny, 37, has the record for most wins in the UFC’s welterweight division. While Magny has lost four of his previous seven fights, he did have a noticeable upset over a prospect in 2023.

Magny scored a third-round TKO over Mike Malott to derail Malott’s momentum. That likely won’t happen in this fight. Magny is coming off a knockout loss in August. While Magny is still tough, he will have a difficult time matching the punching power of Prates.

Bets to consider: Under 2.5 rounds, Prates by KO/TKO/DQ

Kowalkiewicz Ready for Tough Up-and-Comer

Karolina Kowalkiewicz finally overcame her injury issues and put together a four-fight winning streak. But during her last fight, she had a difficult night and lost a tough battle to Iasmin Lucindo. The best MMA news site shows that things won’t get any easier for her.

Kowalkiewicz will have to find a way to deal with Denise Gomes, who has displayed impressive power for her weight class. Gomes knocked out Bruna Brasil and Yazmin Jauregui in back-to-back fights. Six of Gomes’ nine victories have come via knockout.Expect Gomes to come in seeking another highlight-reel moment.

Bets to consider: Under 2.5 rounds, Gomes by KO/TKO/DQ

Dutch Knight Has a lot to Prove

Reinier de Ridder may be one of the most exciting fighters on the card Saturday night. The Dutch star made his name in ONE Championship by capturing the light heavyweight and middleweight titles simultaneously. It is rare these days for fighters to build a strong reputation for themselves before making their way to the UFC.

Before making his way to the UFC, de Ridder had one fight in UAE Warriors. It was a good confidence booster. Before de Ridder left ONE, he took a pair of losses to now three-division champion Anatoly Malykhin. De Ridder’s first fight in his new promotion will be against a fellow submission specialist, Gerald Meerschaert.

Meerschaert has won 29 of his 37 career wins by making his opponents tap. De Ridder also has 11 wins by submission. Expect this to be a fun fight that will eventually hit the mats.

Bets to consider: Fight to end inside the distance, Under 2.5 rounds, de Ridder by submission

Pinheiro in a Tough Spot

With all due respect to Angela Hill, who is a tough veteran fighter, Luana Pinheiro’s submission loss to her was a tough pill to swallow. Hill had never submitted anyone during her long career in the sport. While Pinheiro has five submissions to her credit, none of those came in the UFC.

Not being the best grappler is a difficult quality to have when your next fight is against Gillian Robertson. Robertson is an excellent wrestler and has used her advantage to wrap up nine wins by submission.

Robertson will get on top of Pinheiro to grab a win in this fight. Pinheiro has struggled since she was scheduled to take on tougher competition during her last two fights. In addition to the loss to Hill, Pinheiro also took a knockout loss to Amanda Ribas.

There’s no shame in losing to Ribas, who is an excellent fighter who competes in two divisions, but Pinheiro will need to handle taking on top-level fighters before we can consider picking her.

Bets to consider: Robertson win by finish, Under 2.5 rounds

Danish Dynamite Would Like to Bounce Back

Nicolas Dalby would be riding a four-fight winning streak right now if things were just. But during Dalby’s last fight, he saw his winning streak come to an end when he lost a split decision to Rinat Fakhretdinov. Dalby will now have to handle a short-notice opponent in Zachary Scroggin.

Scroggin is 7-0 in his career but has never fought on the big stage. Dalby is a difficult opponent to handle with a full fight camp because of his excellent cardio and solid striking. Scroggin will hope to make enough of an impression to earn another fight or two.

Dalby doesn’t have much to gain if he struggles at all in this fight. Back Danish Dynamite to wrap this one up quickly inside the distance.

Bets to consider: Dalby ML, Under 1.5

Here are the odds for the rest of the card:

Bantamweight, Ricky Turcios (+240) vs Bernado Sopaj (-298)

Middleweight, Mansur Abdul-Malik (-360) vs Duško Todorović (+285)

Welterweight, Matthew Semelsberger (+136) vs Charles Radtke (-162)

Bantamweight, Cody Stamann (+230) vs Da’Mon Blackshear (-285)

Middleweight, Tresean Gore (-198) vs Antonio Trocoli (+164)

Women’s bantamweight, Melissa Mullins (-238) vs Klaudia Syguła (+195)

Bantamweight, Cortavious Romious (-205) vs Gaston Bolanos (+170)

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By Dean McHugh.