Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Carlos Prates (blue gloves) prepares to fight Ian Machado Garry (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

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Carlos Prates Next Opponent Announced For UFC 319!

Rising UFC welterweight contender Carlos Prates gets a new veteran opponent for UFC 319 in Chicago!

Fight bookings in the UFC can be as unpredictable. Fighters get matched up, injuries happen, someone pulls out, and suddenly the whole card gets shuffled around. The welterweight division has been particularly busy with these kinds of scheduling headaches lately. Promoters work overtime trying to keep fans happy while dealing with the reality that athletes are human beings who sometimes get hurt or need more time to prepare.

The UFC’s matchmaking team deserves some credit for their persistence though. When a fight falls through, they don’t just give up and move on to something else entirely. Instead, they often circle back and try to make the same matchup happen again when the timing works better. This approach shows they believe certain fights are worth the extra effort, especially when both fighters and fans were already excited about seeing them square off.

Carlos Prates Set To Take On Geoff Neal

Carlos Prates and Geoff Neal are finally getting their chance to settle things inside the octagon. The UFC has rebooked their fight for UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16th, giving both welterweights another shot at what should be an exciting matchup. This isn’t their first rodeo together though. They were originally supposed to fight back in April, but Neal had to pull out of UFC 314 due to circumstances beyond his control.

FIREWORKS targeted for #UFC319 as Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates have agreed to rebook their welterweight matchup in Chicago. Who ya' got? 🧨🔥 pic.twitter.com/cFULTkS70V
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 2, 2025

When Neal dropped out, Prates didn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself. The Brazilian got pushed to the main event of UFC Kansas City just two weeks later, where he faced Ian Machado Garry instead. Unfortunately for Prates, that fight didn’t go his way. He lost a decision that snapped his impressive unbeaten streak, which had included four knockout victories in a row. Those knockouts came against some solid competition too, including Jingliang Li and Neil Magny. This showed that Prates had real power and momentum before hitting that speed bump against Garry.

Both Fighters Looking To Bounce Back

The timing actually works out pretty well for both men heading into UFC 319. Prates will be hungry to get back on track after that loss to Garry ended his hot streak. Nobody likes having their winning streak broken, especially when they are trying to climb the welterweight rankings. The Brazilian has shown he can finish fights in spectacular fashion, and he will want to remind everyone why he was considered such a promising prospect before that setback.

Neal has his own reasons for wanting this fight to happen. He hasn’t stepped into the octagon since October 2024, when he scored a victory over former champion Rafael dos Anjos. That win was important for Neal because it helped him bounce back from tough losses to both Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Neal will be eager to show that his win over dos Anjos wasn’t a fluke.

UFC 319 takes place at the United Center in Chicago. Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will defend his title against the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev in the main event. Having Prates versus Neal on that card should give fans another compelling reason to tune in and watch what promises to be an action packed evening of fights!

(Image Credit: William Purnell – Imagn Images)

Carlos Prates

Geoff Neal

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!