LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 8: Neil Magny poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on November 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Saturday’s 11-fight UFC Vegas 100 card at UFC Apex marked the promotion’s 100th event at APEX. No one could have predicted that the UFC’s “home” fight cards would last as long as they have, but the UFC has always provided an intimate and unique viewing experience for the fights it hosts.
UFC Vegas 100 featured a five-fight main card that produced three thrilling finishes. In the co-main event, former two-division ONE Championship champion Rainer de Ridder earned his first win in the promotion over UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert. And in the main event, Carlos Prates stunned the audience by dismantling veteran gatekeeper Neil Magny, cementing himself as the new contender in the UFC welterweight division. After a loss at UFC Vegas 100, he needs to match up some rookies with some crafty veterans.
neil magny
Neil Magny was started by rising prospect Carlos Prates in the first round of the main event of UFC Vegas 100. This loss is definitely tough for Magny, as the 37-year-old is currently on a two-game finish streak and has lost three of his past four fights. Magny entered Saturday’s fight ranked No. 15 in the UFC welterweight rankings, so he will be unranked once the new rankings are released.
Magny’s next fight should be against Elizeu Zaleski. Elizeu picked up the win earlier in the night by shooting undefeated replacement fighter Zach Scoggin in the first round (Elizeu was originally scheduled to face Nicholas Dalby before Dalby withdrew). Zaleski is 2-1-1 in his last four fights, losing to Randy Brown in June. Magny and Zuleski have a common opponent in Lee Kyung-liang. Neal defeated “The Reach” by unanimous decision, while Elizeu suffered a TKO loss in the third round. The 38-year-old will give Magny a good fight, and the winner will likely look for another fight to get back into the rankings.
Neil’s next fight: Elizeu Zaleski
Gerald Meerschaert
Gerald Meerschaert entered the second half of a three-round co-main event against UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder. Meerschaert performed well on Saturday despite being eliminated early, but couldn’t find a path to victory. Meerschaert is currently 12-10 in the UFC and 2-2 in his last four fights. Gerard holds the UFC middleweight submission record. He is one of the most active threats in the division competing for promotion.
Meerschaert, who turns 37 next month, is still a dangerous fighter and has many gaps in his career, as evidenced by his last win, a two-round submission win over Edmen Shahbazyan in August. It remains.
Gerard’s next fight should be against Abs Magomedov. This is a fight that the UFC currently has scheduled in two parts. A bout between the middleweights was scheduled for December 2021, but it was canceled due to Magomedov’s visa issue. The second date for this match, in February 2023, was canceled again for the same reason. However, Gerard has only fought outside of the United States once in his entire professional career, so this match may not work out logically.
A good backup would be the loser of Paul Craig vs. Bo Niccal at UFC 309. The timing works out well as the matches take place within a week of each other. And both fighters will provide Meerschaert with another grappling-heavy type of matchup.
Gerard’s next fight: Abbas Magomedov or loser of Paul Craig vs. Beau Nickal.
Cortavius Romias
Cortavias Romias lost a lopsided unanimous decision at the hands of Gaston Bolanos on Saturday. Romias lost to Ramon Taveras in the 2023 Contender Series. Cortavius was miraculously invited back to make amends earlier this year. The 30-year-old will begin his UFC bantamweight career with an 0-1 record.
Cortavius should fight the loser of Long Xiao vs. Quan Le. Both fighters are scheduled to fight on November 23rd, just a few weeks apart. Cortavious and Long were both Contender Series fighters who competed in the show’s 2024 season. Quan went on a seven-fight undefeated streak through LFA, dropping his (rushed) first fight in the UFC to Chris Gutierrez. Quan was also scheduled to compete on the Contender Series in the 2024 season, but was signed instead. Long also lost his first UFC fight in June with a split decision loss to Chan Ho Lee. Three men in very similar positions. The loser of the fight on the 23rd will fight Cortavias for his first win in the UFC.
Cortavias’ next match: Loser of Long Xiao vs. Quan Le
Luana Pinheiro
Luana Pinheiro lost a unanimous decision to UFC veteran Jillian Robertson on the main card of UFC Vegas 100 on Saturday. Pinheiro has now lost three straight fights, with two of them being finished (by Amanda Rivas and Angela Hill).
Pinheiro, a 2020 Contender Series graduate, is off to a hot start in the UFC and currently has a 3-3 record in the promotion. Luana, 30, currently has no wins against active UFC fighters, as Randa Markos and Sam Hughes have since been released from the organization. And Michelle Waterson-Gomez has since retired, so it’s not a good prospect for Pinheiro.
Luana’s next fight should be against Yazmin Jauregui. Yazmin has a similar record as a professional with 11 wins and 2 losses, while Lunana has 11 wins and 3 losses. Jauregui is 3-2 in the UFC, but has lost two of his last three fights, both of which ended in the first round. This bout will be a classic striker vs. grappler matchup and a chance for both fighters to get back on track with their respective UFC careers.
Luana’s next battle: Yazmin Yauregui
Dusko Todorovic
Dusko Todorovic was brutally beaten and forced to cancel Saturday’s UFC Vegas 100 main card opener. Dasko’s opponent, Mansoor Abdul Malik, is an undefeated fighter on the Contender Series and was looking to make a statement, but unfortunately he was unable to do so with Dasko’s finish. It was a difficult result for Todorovic, who had only just returned to action after suffering a knee injury against Christian Leroy Duncan, who had been sidelined since March 2023.
Todorovic is 3-5 with the promotion since signing for the 2019 season of the Contender Series. Todorovic has lost three of his last four fights, all three of which have been stopped. In Dasko’s three wins, all of his opponents have been released (Dequan Townsend, Maki Pitolo, Jordan Wright).
Dasko should fight Ihor Potieria in his next battle. Ihor last competed in October at UFC 307, where he lost a unanimous decision to Cesar Almedia. Potieria is 2-5 in the UFC, losing four of his last five fights. Ihor defeated Mauricio Rua in his retirement match in early 2023. And in February, Ihor defeated Robert Blicek by unanimous decision, but missed the weigh-in prior to that fight. Both fighters are on the hot seat and will bring some exciting striking, so it should be a good match.
Dasko’s next battle: Ihor Potieria
