On Saturday, February 22, 2025, 14-1 Rising Star Ibo Aslan fought the 19-10 Ion Cutelaba, a Moldovan fighter on his 9th year in the UFC. Going into the fight, Aslan was the favorite. He had relentless power responsible for many knockouts. He had strong offense and aggression on the feet that was greatly responsible for his danger. However, Cutelaba had one thing that quite literally took Aslan off of his feet: grappling. Cutelaba decided that rather than testing Aslan's standup ability like many of those that tried and failed before have, he would instead take him to deep and unfamiliar waters with his grappling. At just 2:51 of Round 1, Cutelaba submitted Aslan via an arm triangle choke that would put the crowd and viewers in awe: he had beaten one of the most dangerous prospects in the light heavyweight division against strong odds. Both men deserve props for the fight, and I strongly believe that Aslan will come back a better fighter than he was before. A loss does not define a person's character, but rather it defines one of the many layers of a person's foundation that allows them to grow and be greater. Who will Ibo Aslan face next?

     Carlos Prates, the "Nightmare" prospect in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has just been voted as the debutant of the year via UFC Honors. Making his UFC debut on February 10th, 2024, Carlos Prates knocked out Trevin Giles via a straight left hand at 4:03 of round 2. Prates has since gone undefeated in the UFC, winning each of his fights by KO/TKO within the first two rounds. As it becomes more and more apparent, Carlos "The Nightmare" Prates is readily living up to his nickname as he continues to dominate his opponents with his relentless striking and Muay Thai background. So... What's next for Prates?