Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates are reportedly being targeted to compete at UFC 319 in Chicago. The welterweight bout is expected to take place on August 16th at the United Center.
This potential matchup marks a rebooking for the fighters, as they were originally scheduled to face each other in April. However, the fight was canceled after Neal was forced to withdraw from the UFC 314 event lineup.
Following the cancellation of the original booking, Carlos Prates competed two weeks later, headlining a UFC Kansas City event where he lost a decision to Ian Machado Garry. That defeat snapped Prates` impressive six-year unbeaten streak, which included four consecutive knockout victories since joining the UFC approximately a year prior, with wins over fighters like Jingliang Li and Neil Magny.
Geoff Neal last stepped into the octagon in October 2024. In that appearance, he secured a win against former champion Rafael dos Anjos, successfully getting back on track after suffering defeats in his two previous bouts against Ian Machado Garry and undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
UFC 319 is scheduled to feature the middleweight championship fight in the main event, where reigning champion Dricus du Plessis is expected to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev.
