Ian Machado Garry is brimming with confidence as he prepares to face Carlos Prates, a rising star in the welterweight division.
UFC officially announced on Tuesday that Garry will headline UFC Kansas City on April 26 against Carlos Prates in a welterweight clash. This fight replaces the light heavyweight match between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., which was removed from the card due to undisclosed reasons.
Garry is currently ranked No. 6 globally by MMA Fighting. Prates, while unranked, has created significant excitement after a stellar UFC debut in 2024, going undefeated with four wins, all knockouts, and each earning him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Following the fight announcement, Garry used Instagram to send a clear warning to Prates.
“I’m excited,” Garry stated. “The UFC asks, ‘Who do we need? Who do we call?’ They call me. Why? Because I am a true fighter who wants to challenge the best in the world. I am going to demonstrate my skill to everyone. Carlos Prates is good, but this is my world. Fighting is my passion; there’s nothing I love more.”
“Kansas City, here we come! Ireland, book your tickets and flights. Brazil, get your tickets and flights.”
Similar to Prates, Garry had an impressive undefeated start in the UFC, winning his first eight bouts before encountering Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 last December. Rakhmonov won by unanimous decision in a competitive three-round fight, which minimally impacted Garry’s standing, and he now aims to halt Prates’s momentum.
Prates, part of the renowned Fighting Nerds team with fighters like Caio Borralho, Mauricio Ruffy, and Jean Silva, is on an 11-fight winning streak. In his last fight this past November, “The Nightmare” quickly knocked out veteran welterweight Neil Magny in under a round.
Wesley Dunham