In the main event of UFC Kansas City, Ian Machado Garry delivered a dominant performance over five rounds to defeat Carlos Prates by unanimous decision, weathering a brief late rally from his opponent.
Garry controlled the pace with his superior movement and striking, consistently outworking Prates on the feet. He strategically mixed in takedowns, preventing Prates from establishing a consistent rhythm for the majority of the bout.
Prates managed to land some significant strikes and ground and pound in the final round, signaling a late comeback attempt, but it proved insufficient. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of Garry, awarding him the unanimous decision victory.
Garry praised his opponent after the fight, stating, “I know how dangerous that man is… I have nothing but respect for him… He`s Brazilian — half of my soul is Brazilian. My name is Machado Garry. I want to see all these Brazilians go to the top and that man hits like a truck.”
Throughout the fight, Garry utilized extensive movement to evade Prates` powerful strikes. He also effectively used right high kicks to distract from Prates` dangerous left hand. Near the end of the first round, Prates slipped, allowing Garry to land a hard punch that caused a small cut under his eye.
As Garry found his rhythm and comfort in striking, Prates` offensive output remained low. Prates` inactivity enabled Garry to select his shots effectively, landing clean strikes like a hard right hand and an inside elbow.
Garry`s stand-up performance was clinical, constantly keeping Prates off balance. He also strategically mixed in takedown attempts. Prates began throwing his signature kicks later in the third round, but they didn`t inflict enough damage to disrupt Garry`s strategy.
Continuing his dominance, Garry landed a sharp uppercut that visibly rocked Prates. Garry followed up, securing a brief takedown before the fighters quickly returned to striking range.
Garry persisted with mixing in takedowns, seemingly aiming to tire Prates. Garry consistently threw combinations of three or four strikes, while Prates typically responded with single shots.
In the waning moments of the fourth round, Prates landed a powerful punch that momentarily stunned Garry, prompting Prates to seek a potential finish.
This sequence led to a late takedown reversal by Prates, who then landed powerful ground and pound, but Garry survived until the bell. Post-fight, Garry claimed he was never in serious danger but acknowledged Prates` significant finishing power.
Garry elaborated on the late scare, stating, “I was completely in control… I just wanted to be smart and safe and not do something stupid because that can happen in these types of fights. The guy’s a legend. I appreciate him. He’s been on a tear but I told everyone what I was going to do, I was going to outclass him and I believe I did that.”
This victory helps Garry rebound after a tough loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in a No. 1 contender`s bout last December. He believes this win re-establishes his position in the division and plans to attend UFC 315 in Montreal to observe the title fight between champion Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.
Looking ahead, Garry declared his immediate plans: “This is what’s next for me… Well, in two weeks’ time, I’m flying to Canada. I’m the official backup for the world title fight and I’m next in line for that world title!”
Wesley Dunham