A significant welterweight fight between Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates has been removed from the UFC 314 event.
During the UFC Mexico broadcast on Saturday, commentator Jon Anik announced that Geoff Neal was injured and unable to compete. Consequently, their fight has been cancelled from the April 12 card. Details about Neal’s injury and his expected recovery time were not disclosed.
Carlos Prates will not receive a replacement opponent for this event. However, Anik hinted that the Brazilian fighter might be considered for a more important fight in the near future.
“We anticipate some significant news regarding Carlos Prates in the coming weeks,” Anik stated.
This news is undoubtedly disappointing for Prates, who aimed to continue his impressive 2024 run, which includes four consecutive knockout victories in the first or second rounds.
Prates was looking forward to facing a seasoned veteran like Neal to further build his reputation, but he will now have to wait for his next fight assignment.
This fight was intended to be an opportunity for Neal to secure his second consecutive win after his victory over Rafael dos Anjos last October. Neal will now miss the chance to compete against one of the rising stars in the UFC welterweight division.
With the cancellation of Neal vs. Prates, the UFC 314 main card now features only four fights. A fifth fight is expected to be added to the main card before the event on April 12 in Miami.
