UFC Kansas City proved to be a night full of notable events and discussions. Key takeaways included Ian Machado Garry securing a significant victory, Anthony Smith announcing his retirement from the sport, and several other athletes taking full advantage of the opportunity to shine away from the smaller setting of the APEX facility.
Ian Machado Garry made his return following a competitive bout against the previously undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, his recent performance, while resulting in a win over Carlos Prates, did not completely convince everyone. Garry controlled the initial three rounds effectively against a struggling Prates, but encountered significant difficulty at the end of Round 4. Prates, known for his knockout power, landed shots that visibly hurt Garry, leading to a dominant push by Prates in the fifth round where he seemed on the verge of finishing the fight.
Despite being under heavy pressure with just 30 seconds left, Garry managed to survive and hold on for the decision win. This victory keeps his aspirations for a championship alive. Following the event, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Garry is officially designated as the backup fighter for the upcoming UFC 315 welterweight title fight, which is scheduled to main event with champion Belal Muhammad facing Jack Della Maddalena. Yet, based on feedback from fans, many remain skeptical about Garry being ready for a title opportunity at this stage.
In other middleweight news, considerable speculation had been circulating suggesting champion Dricus du Plessis would not be available to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 317, with some rumors even claiming he might be out until 2026. Du Plessis directly addressed these widespread reports via a social media post, firmly dismissing them as `fake news.` His clarification was met with positive reactions online.
Meanwhile, commentator Chael Sonnen created confusion with contradictory statements about the potential heavyweight championship unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. Within a short 24-hour period, Sonnen first asserted he knew the specific date for the fight, only to then walk back his claim and state that Aspinall was actually slated to fight a different opponent. As is frequently wise with Sonnen`s remarks, they should be interpreted with significant caution.
Turning to the lightweight division, Belal Muhammad publicly supported his teammate Islam Makhachev`s stance regarding Ilia Topuria. Makhachev doesn`t believe Topuria should be automatically considered the number one contender at lightweight despite his recent featherweight title win. The possibility of `La Leyenda` receiving an immediate shot at the lightweight title has indeed generated divided opinions among fight fans.
Wesley Dunham