UFC 314 takes major hit as fight between fan favorite knockout artists is cancelled

Fight fans got some bad news just weeks before UFC 314 in Miami.

The UFC’s upcoming return to Miami at UFC 314 features a vacant featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, to go along with a host of other high-profile bouts. In the co-main event, Michael Chandler will look to give Paddy Pimblett the toughest test of his UFC career when they square off in a pivotal lightweight matchup.

But the top two fights at UFC 314 round out a star-studded card at the Kaseya Center. Featherweights Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell will square off in a matchup with a lot of heat, stemming from Silva’s callout at UFC Seattle.

Despite the hype and anticipation for the April 12th pay-per-view event, UFC 314 took a big blow this weekend.
Overhead view of the UFC Octagon before UFC 287 in Miami.
Overhead view of the UFC Octagon before UFC 287 in Miami. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC 314 takes a big hit as main card bout removed due to injury

As reported on the UFC Mexico City broadcast, the scheduled welterweight fight between Carlos Prates and Geoff Neal is off UFC 314 after Neal withdrew due to an injury. As of this writing, the UFC isn’t planning on finding a short-notice replacement opponent for Prates, and he could be rebooked against a new opponent at a new timeframe.

Prates, one of the biggest rising stars in the UFC welterweight division, is unbeaten in his promotional tenure after recent knockouts of Neil Magny, Li Jingliang, and Charles Radtke. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum is one of the top names at the surging Fighting Nerds gym in Brazil.

Neal looked to build off of his momentum stemming from a TKO win over former UFC titleholder Rafael dos Anjos last October. Before that, he lost back-to-back fights against Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry.

Prates, in particular, is potentially 2-3 wins away from earning a welterweight title shot. His most recent win over Magny catapulted Prates into the welterweight Top 15 for the first time in his young UFC stint.

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