THRILLING WELTERWEIGHTS
(#15) NEIL MAGNY AND CARLOS PRATES
HEADLINE AT UFC® APEX
UFC® returns to the UFC APEX with an electric welterweight bout between No. 15 ranked contender Neil Magny and rising star Carlos Prates. In addition, international middleweight star Reinier de Ridder makes his UFC debut against veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MAGNY vs. PRATES takes place Saturday, November 9 in Las Vegas and will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will be kicking off at 1pm PT /4pm ET, followed by the main card at 4pm PT/7pm ET.
UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Magny (29-13, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) looks to deliver another statement win. Competing inside the Octagon for over a decade, the Colorado native has become a staple in the 170-pound division with his victories over former champions Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and Johnny Hendricks. Magny now aims his sights on rising contender Prates with the intention of derailing the prospect’s momentum.
Brazil’s Prates (20-6, fighting out of Taubate, São Paulo, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. With 10 straight finishes under his belt, the Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner has made waves in the welterweight division with his show-stealing performances against the likes of Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, and Li Jingliang. The rising star now aims to break into the division’s Top 15 by finishing Magny in unforgettable fashion.
Newly signed UFC middleweight de Ridder (17-2, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.) makes his highly anticipated debut this November. An extremely skilled black belt in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, de Ridder also wields knockout power and has a near 90% finish rate on his resume. The Netherlands-born fighter hopes to make a statement in his first Octagon appearance by making quick work of Meerschaert.
Meerschaert (37-17, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) looks to continue his winning ways. Currently the UFC recordholder for most submission wins (11) and finishes (12) in middleweight history, Meerschaert has cemented his spot in the division with wins against Edmen Shahbazyan, Bryan Barberena, and Bruno Silva. Seeking his third win of 2024, Meerschaert plans to spoil de Ridder’s moment.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (14-6, fighting out of Uhrichsville, Ohio) goes toe-to-toe with Miles Johns (15-2, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) in an exciting matchup
- No. 15 ranked UFC strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-8, fighting out of Lodz, Poland) faces Dana White’s Contender Series signee Denise Gomes (9-3, fighting out of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- The Ultimate Fighter season 29 bantamweight winner Ricky Turcios (13-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) locks horns with Benardo Sopaj (11-3, fighting out of Fier, Albania)
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee and current No. 13 ranked strawweight Luana Pinheiro (11-3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on No. 14 Gillian Robertson (14-8, fighting out of Port St. Lucie, Fla. By way of Niagara Falls, Canada)
- Welterweights rematch as Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-8-1, fighting out of Francisco Beltrão, Parana, Brazil) takes on Nicolas Dalby (23-5-1 2 NC, fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners Mansur Abdul-Malik (6-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Dusko Todorovic (12-4, fighting out of Belgrade, Serbia) square off
- Welterweights Matthew Semelsberger (11-7, fighting out of Frederick, Md.) and Charles Radtke (9-4, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) go to battle
- An intriguing bantamweight tilt pits Cody Stamann (21-7-1, fighting out Sparta, Mich.) against Da’Mon Blackshear (14-7-1, fighting out Miami, Fla.)
- Melissa Mullins (6-1, fighting out of Coventry, England) welcomes Klaudia Syguła (6-1, fighting out of Łódź, Poland) to the bantamweight division
- Gaston Bolanos (7-4, fighting out of Dublin, Calif. by way of Lima, Peru) locks horns with Dana White’s Contender Series signee Cortavious Romious (9-2, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) at bantamweight
- Tresean Gore (5-2, fighting out of Lawrenceville, Ga.) collides with Antonio Trocoli (12-4 1 NC, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) at middleweight
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change.
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 259 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
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