UFC Fight Night 247 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT). UFC Fight Night 247 (ESPN+) takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Welterweights Neil Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) and Carlos Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meet in the main event. In the co-feature, former ONE Championship two-division titleholder Reinier de Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Gerald Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) at middleweight. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 4 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN+ and 7 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN+.

Melissa Mullins is taking on Klaudia Sygu?a. Mullins is a -250 favorite. She’s coming off a loss in her last fight and now faces an opponent stepping up in a big, big, big step up in competition. I mean, Sygu?a hasn’t really fought anyone notable; she’s a striker from Poland, and from what I’ve seen on her tapes, she doesn’t seem UFC-ready just yet. That being said, I think Melissa Mullins will be able to take this fight to the ground and probably win inside the distance. The odds for the fight going over 2.5 rounds are set at -250, since female fights generally go the distance at a high rate, probably around an 82% clip. However, in this matchup, I believe Mullins can get the win inside the distance. After winning in Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2023, Carlos Prates (20-6) is looking like the real deal. He has continued his winning form in the UFC and has now won ten fights in a row, including three in the Octagon. To make this run even more impressive, the Brazilian has won all three fights  by knockout, and all of them have come in 2024 with this being his fourth fight of the year.

Carlos Prates is a man on a mission as the 31-year-old Brazilian is on an absolute tear. Even with the step up to the big time, Prates continues to knock people out and he will look to make it four out of four in the UFC in 2024. Magny is a tough experienced campaigner and it will be interesting to see how he handles Prates. He will have to use all his savvy and skills to avoid Prates’ power but that is easier said than done over five rounds. Prates will find a way and make it four wins from four this year and 11 overall. We expect him to get the stoppage and simply overpower Magny. Magny (29-13, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) looks to deliver another statement win. Competing inside the Octagon for over a decade, the Colorado native has become a staple in the 170-pound division with his victories over former champions Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and Johnny Hendricks. Magny now aims his sights on rising contender Prates with the intention of derailing the prospect’s momentum.

Brazil’s Prates(20-6, fighting out of Taubate, São Paulo, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. With 10 straight finishes under his belt, the Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner has made waves in the welterweight division with his show-stealing performances against the likes of Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, and Li Jingliang. The rising star now aims to break into the division’s Top 15 by finishing Magny in unforgettable fashion. Newly signed UFC middleweight de Ridder (17-2, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.) makes his highly anticipated debut this November. An extremely skilled black belt in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, de Ridder also wields knockout power and has a near 90% finish rate on his resume. The Netherlands-born fighter hopes to make a statement in his first Octagon appearance by making quick work of Meerschaert. Meerschaert (37-17, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) looks to continue his winning ways. Currently the UFC recordholder for most submission wins (11) and finishes (12) in middleweight history, Meerschaert has cemented his spot in the division with wins against Edmen Shahbazyan, Bryan Barberena, and Bruno Silva. Seeking his third win of 2024, Meerschaert plans to spoil de Ridder’s moment.