Neil Magny has been part of almost each UFC period, and with the advantage of hindsight, the UFC Vegas 100 headliner wish to see an interim welterweight title battle whereas Belal Muhammad recovers from his harm.
Magny faces surging contender Carlos Prates in the primary occasion of Saturday’s card on the APEX. After a bone an infection scratched Muhammad from the UFC 310 major occasion towards Shavkat Rakhmonov, the scheduled challenger referred to as to remain on the Dec. 7 card and battle for interim gold. Magny likes the thought, and with the depth of the 170-pound division in the meanwhile, he feels it’s the perfect transfer for welterweight.
“I believe the interim title shot simply type of one of many issues that retains the division transferring,” Magny informed MMA Preventing. “It retains every thing flowing. With as a lot expertise that we’ve got in within the UFC, on this division, it’s virtually unfair to maintain it tied up for therefore lengthy. I get that it’s very unlucky that Belal acquired injured. It wasn’t something that he did specifically to steer himself in that place. So for him, it sucks that he’s injured, however for the remainder of the division to maintain it going, I really feel just like the interim shot is critical.”
Magny has confronted Rakhmonov up to now, with Rakhmonov submitting Magny within the second spherical in June 2022. The 33-fight veteran has confronted—or skilled with—many of the prime contenders within the division.
If the 37-year-old had the UFC welterweight matchmaking pencil, he would schedule an interim title battle whereas Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley handle their enterprise at UFC Tampa.
“At this level, in case you don’t have the interim title shot in his absence,, it turns into a logjam on the prime of the division the place it’s like, ‘All proper, nicely, who’s subsequent in line for a title?” Magny stated. “Then you’ve, arguably, anybody from one via 5 ought to or may very well be in a battle for that title proper now. I imply, you’ve Usman, you’ve Leon Edwards, you’ve Sean Brady, you’ve Jack Della Maddalena, you’ve all these guys which might be truly capable of make a case to be a legit No. 1 contender battle for the title at this level.
“However on the finish of it, doing the interim title, I believe that’s the suitable name to make simply type of maintain issues transferring alongside and permit the UFC to have a number of extra contenders.”
For Magny, he is aware of he’s far-off from title rivalry—and that’s OK. In his eyes, it’s all about being the perfect fighter, mentor, guardian, enterprise proprietor, and total individual he might be.
Whether or not he was provided Prates—3-0 with three finishes since debuting earlier this 12 months—or anyone else, it didn’t matter. Magny agreed to headline on this card, and on this date particularly, and did so earlier than he had a dance associate on the books.
“It feels nice to be right here,” Magny defined. I used to be simply speaking to somebody the opposite day about simply the completely different eras of of UFC that I’ve been in — from the SPIKE TV days to Fox Sports activities days, to this cope with ESPN. Then you’ve the COVID period, and now we’re transferring on to the subsequent period of of UFC. I’m simply very grateful to be part of all of it. I’m very lucky to be part of all of it, however attending to the battle this weekend, it’s nice.
“It’s an excellent alternative. I get to headline in Las Vegas, UFC [Vegas 100], and it’s Veteran’s Day weekend, and being one of many, like, three precise U.S. battle veterans on the UFC roster at present, having the ability to headline this card this weekend, it’s like, man, the celebrities are lining for me. Prefer it’s an excellent alternative to on the market and signify, to go on the market and simply do my factor. I’m very grateful for it.”