Like most Mullarkey fights, this looks to be a guaranteed scrap.
Mullarkey was the clear B-side in his UFC debut against fellow
newcomer Brad
Riddell back in 2019, but the Australian immediately went about
impressing. He went to war against Riddell for three impressive
rounds despite coming away with a loss. There was some worry that
Mullarkey could not turn his well-rounded aggression into
consistent UFC success, but he has recovered from a rough start to
win three of his last four, all of which came in entertaining
fights. A barnburner of a fight against Michael
Johnson in July—seemingly forgotten in the crush of the UFC’s
schedule—initially earned Mullarkey a fight against Nasrat
Haqparast here at home, but instead, he winds up on
prospect-testing duty, taking on an Argentinian newcomer in Prado.
There is a lot to like about Prado, who is still just 20 years old.
He looks well-built for the division and has found success behind a
bruising style that has allowed him to overwhelm his opponents.
However, he can also get a bit wild, and there is not really a
sense that he has developed a backup plan beyond consistently
pressing those physical advantages. This feels like a bit too much
of a step up for Prado, who has a bright future. There is a chance
he can score an early finish, as Mullarkey is certainly willing to
take one to give one, but the Aussie has been consistently durable
and should be able to drag Prado into deep waters as the fight goes
on. The pick is Mullarkey via third-round stoppage.
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