The middle weights will undoubtedly the stars From UFC 319, but the one weight category division below should be one of the best fights on the map when Carlos Prates fours with Geoff Neal. In a classic prospect versus veteran matchup on UFC 319, Prates (21-7, 4-1 UFC) will try to return to the winning path after a narrow defeat against Ian Machado-Garry.
It stands in the way the brick wall that is Neal (16-6, 8-4 UFC), a steadfast opponent who has made a living of the negotiation of massive knockouts in the last eight years. Below is a complete breakdown of the fight for the prime minister -welter weight matchup.
UFC 319 Fight Breakdown: The Grappling Game
None of these boys is known for their ground game, but it should play a small role in Saturday night’s affair at UFC 319, largely to the discretion of Neal. The American gives two centimeters high and three centimeters in reach against Prates, making it likely that a kind of offensive Klinchen will be implemented in the game plan.
When she was confronted with a similar physical disadvantage against Machado-Garry, Neal chose to fight on the front foot, to push the longer man and repeatedly push him against the cage to ease his longer reach. He never really had a danger for Machado-Garry on the fence, and chose to try to collect the control time about actually falling for a Takedown.
In an earlier fight with Shavkat RakhmonovNeal shuns completely away from achieving, for fear of the superior submission skills of the Kazakh hunter. This comparison should help reveal how Neal is planning to approach an opponent such as Prates during UFC 319 on Saturday.
Van Neal’s three matchups mentioned here is by far the worst grappler. The Brazilian showed an excellent predisposition for denying outright removal attempts in his own matchup with Machado-Garry, and defended 15 of 19 shots. A crucial difference is that Machado-Garry often chose to shoot in the middle of the Octagon while actively trying to drag prates down, not to keep him on the fence.
No opponent has tried to control Prates for a longer period of time on the cage, so that a hole in his game is opened that will try to exploit Neal. Neal will fight on the front foot, and when he initiates an exchange exchange, it will be a grim, unpleasant cage posture or two for both hunters.
UFC 319 Fight Breakdown: Carlos Prates
Fortunately for fans, the above -mentioned CLINCH situations must only be a small minority of this fight on UFC 319. The rest of the competition in the Open Achthoek should contain one of the most exciting, technically beautiful striking of the year, stimulated by an interesting stylistic matchup.
Perhaps the most important stylistic note is that both men mainly fight in a south break attitude. Prates, a Lefty itself, has not yet confronted with a pure Southpaw in the UFC, but he still has a number of noticeable tendencies that have developed when opponents have changed attitude. When they are confronted with a closed position, Prates is much more willing to put opponents under pressure, sometimes he ignores his reach benefit in favor of progress while increasing his volume.
Moreover, his legs kicks become particularly powerful because of their natural target of the outdoor area of his opponent’s leg. However, as always there is one giving and taking, with the closed position partly the rear stairs of prates at the head and body, as well as the rear knee responsible for finishing Charlie Radtke.
Furthermore, hurting the Brazilian is the fact that his best strike, his cross, will be more difficult to land against another Lefty. Despite its height, Prates is not a jab-heavy hunter, instead choose to wait and sprinkle a few right hands while waiting for an opening to throw his power shots. The closed attitude makes it again more difficult to find the goal for one of its best weapons.
UFC 319: Fight breakdown: Geoff Neal
Of course, Neal should benefit from fighting from a closed position in a number of ways. The increased pressure from Prates should help him close the distance while opening windows for the best shots of the American, his loops. When that distance is closed, Prates has shown the tendency to trust his length and a defensive scale. He will try to pull his head out of danger while leaving his hands low to defend his body, a tactic that is great in kickboxing range, but a potentially deadly error in the bag. Neal has the power to take advantage of that error, especially if it happens several times.
Besides the collisions in the bag, Neal will have a hard time finding an offensive rhythm. He often chooses to blit from his high guard and fire long combinations while steaming ahead to explain his short range. Against Prates, a fantastic opposer who consistently lands backwards before he finds creative ways to perform, that tendency should be a problem in UFC 319.
At a distance, Neal will be peppered with front kicks to the body and a JAB thrown with increasing frequency, given that Machado-Garry was able to penetrate the high guard with his head hand time and time again. The closed posture, although mainly cheaply, hurts Neal by opening the door for the legs of Prates, a natural contradiction to his boxing-heavy posture.
The American has several defensive disadvantages here, but not so large that they probably seem to end in Neal’s first knockout loss in the UFC.
UFC 319: Fighting loss: Final prediction
This fight on UFC 319 will be closer than predicting the legs. The result will depend on the game plans that have been implemented by the cooking meter of each hunter. If Prates can limit his aggression against Southpaw hunters and pick it from a distance to Neal, relies on his counter bow and does not try to eliminate a man who has been chosen once in 22 fights, he has to win on the Scorecards.
More than likely, however, Prates will continue to do what made him so popular in the UFC: go for the kill. That should enable Neal to land an abundance of large shots in the bag, resulting in a late finish.
Final prediction: Geoff Neal by Ko, RD. 3
#UFC #prediction #Prates #clashes #Neal #Awesome #Bout