Dana White grants Carlos Prates’ specific wish immediately after brutal knockout

Right from the opening bell, both Prates and Neal came out swinging, each landing heavy shots that clearly got the other’s attention. Neal started off with a surprising focus on leg kicks before shifting back to his usual boxing style.

Prates managed to weather that early storm, responding with some sharp body shots that quickly took the wind out of Neal’s sails. As the round went on, the Brazilian star settled in, using feints and slick head movement to avoid trouble and find openings.

Just before the end of Round 1, Prates unleashed a spinning back elbow that landed cleanly on Neal’s forehead, knocking him out cold and sending the United Center into chaos.

His knockout was just one highlight in what has become a big year for spinning elbows. Christian Leroy Duncan also used one to finish Eryk Anders at UFC Vegas 109 earlier this week.

Following his win at UFC 319, Dana White promised Prates a spot on an upcoming card in Brazil later this year, which the 32-year-old fighter previously said he wanted.

Carlos Prates gets immediate booking after walk-off KO at UFC 319

After the win over Neal, White confirmed that Prates would be added to the upcoming UFC Rio card, which is headlined by Charles Oliveira vs. Rafael Fiziev. Prates used the moment to call out former welterweight champion Leon Edwards for a bout on that card.

‘The Nightmare’ came into UFC 319 looking to rebound from his first promotional loss, a unanimous decision defeat to Ian Machado Garry at UFC Kansas City. That result ended an 11-fight winning streak.

Neal was making his return following a first-round win over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 308 in October. Before that victory, he had dropped consecutive fights to Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov.

The two were originally set to meet at UFC 314 earlier this year before Neal had to pull out due to injury. During his recovery, Prates stepped in on short notice for the Garry main event fight.