The UFC put on a strong show in the Las Vegas APEX last night. Despite a lack of name value, this Fight Night show had a lot to like.
What's next for the stars of UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates? Only the matchmakers will know. As always, Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, and their team have plenty of options on the table.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates.
#5. UFC strawweight bout: Gillian Robertson vs. Jessica Andrade
While she didn't pick up another finish to add to her ledger, Gillian Robertson was still impressive in her fight with Luana Pinheiro last night.
'The Savage' largely used her strong grappling to overpower her Brazilian foe, really pulling away in the third round.
Given that Robertson is now on a three-fight win streak at 115 pounds and beat the No.13-ranked fighter in the division, it's probaby fair to say she needs a step up next time out.
One interesting opponent for her, then, could be Jessica Andrade.
The former strawweight champ has been straddling both the 115- and 125-pound divisions, and most recently fell to flyweight contender Natalia Silva in a tight decision.
'Bate Estaca' would definitely be Robertson's toughest-ever test at 115 pounds, and if 'The Savage' could win, it'd be hard not to see her as a title contender.
More than that, though, both of these women are consummate finishers, meaning we'd likely be treated to some serious fireworks if they were to face off. That alone would make this a fight worth booking.
#4. UFC middleweight bout: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Gerald Meerschaert
The UFC doesn't like to put fighters coming off a win against fighters coming off a loss, but after last night, they should make an exception. That's because it just seems to make sense to put newcomer Mansur Abdul-Malik up against Gerald Meerschaert next.
Abdul-Malik won his octagon debut handily, dispatching Dusko Todorovic with some vicious strikes in the first round. 'GM3', meanwhile, was submitted by newcomer Reinier de Ridder after a back-and-forth fight that bordered on sloppy at times.
Despite this, the veteran would provide Abdul-Malik with a massive test in his second outing. Meerschaert is a dangerous finisher in all areas, and would be by far the trickiest foe of the newcomer's career.
However, he's also vulnerable and leaves himself open, and that means he'd be beatable for anyone with the power of Abdul-Malik.
Overall, then, this fight would definitely be fun to watch, and could be the perfect main card bout for a future Fight Night event.
#3. UFC bantamweight bout: Cody Garbrandt vs. Da'Mon Blackshear
One of the most impressive performers at last night's event was definitely Da'Mon Blackshear. 'Da Monster' came into his bout with veteran Cody Stamann with his back to the wall, but rescued his UFC career with a slick rear-naked choke finish in the first round.
It'd be tempting now to elevate Blackshear into a fight with a ranked opponent like Rob Font or Jonathan Martinez, but realistically, it'd be smarter to give him a slightly slower climb up the ladder this time.
Therefore, a fun fight for him could be against former UFC champ Cody Garbrandt.
'No Love' was actually supposed to co-headline last night's event alongside Miles Johns, only for the bout to fall apart on late notice.
However, despite Johns being on a four-fight unbeaten run, the talented Blackshear would be a better opponent for Garbrandt, with the winner likely booking a spot in the top fifteen.
If the UFC chooses to scrap the initial booking for 'No Love', then, this fight would be excellent.
#2. UFC middleweight bout: Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland
While his fight was sloppy at points, it's still fair to say that Reinier de Ridder made an impact in his UFC debut last night.
A former two-division titleholder in ONE Championship, 'The Dutch Knight' managed to submit veteran Gerald Meerschaert in a back-and-forth fight, finishing with a third round arm triangle choke.
De Ridder's performance didn't quite suggest he's ready for a run at the elite just yet, but given his age and experience, it's probably worth matching him up with someone just outside the rankings.
With that considered, the best opponent for him could be Kevin Holland. 'Trailblazer' recently lost to Roman Dolidze and is 1-3 in his last four, but he's still very dangerous, and has finishing ability in all areas.
If de Ridder could come out on top against Holland, then he'd definitely be ready for a top-level foe, and if 'Trailblazer' could win, then he'd be back on track.
Overall, there would be a lot on the line in this fight, which would definitely be fun to watch, too.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Carlos Prates vs. Gilbert Burns
Last night's big winner was definitely Carlos Prates. Faced with the welterweight division's premier gatekeeper in Neil Magny, 'The Nightmare' performed brilliantly.
The Brazilian showed Magny absolutely no respect, knocking 'The Haitian Sensation' all around the octagon before short-circuiting him with a short left to the temple late in the first round.
Put simply, any fighter capable of doing this to Magny is probably a major threat to any UFC fighter at 170 pounds. Given that Prates has now won 10 fights in a row, all by knockout, it's time to push him up the ladder hard.
With this in mind, then, why not match him with fellow Brazilian Gilbert Burns?
Sure, 'Durinho' is on a three-fight losing streak, but he's still ranked at No.8 in the division. More to the point, he's tough, has underrated striking, and possesses the kind of grappling game that could really test Prates.
If 'The Nightmare' could run through Burns as he did to Magny, then he'd be instantly elevated into title contention. Based on what he's done so far, there's no point giving him anything but a tough fight next, so it's time to see if the Brazilian can sink or swim at the elite level.