Ian Machado Garry is brimming with confidence as he prepares to face Carlos Prates, a rising star in the welterweight division.
UFC announced that Garry will headline UFC Kansas City on April 26 against Prates in a welterweight match. This fight replaces the light heavyweight bout between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., which was removed from the card for unspecified reasons.
Garry is currently ranked No. 6 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Prates is not ranked but has created significant excitement after a successful UFC debut in 2024, going 4-0 with four knockout wins, each earning him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Following the fight announcement, Garry used Instagram to send a message to Prates.
“I’m excited,” Garry stated. “The UFC asks for me when they need someone for a fight against a top contender. Why? Because I am a true fighter who wants to compete against the best. I will demonstrate my abilities to everyone. Carlos Prates is impressive, but this is my domain. I love fighting more than anything else in the world.”
“Kansas City, get ready. Fans from Ireland and Brazil, book your tickets and flights.”
Similar to Prates, Garry had an impressive undefeated start in the UFC, winning his first eight fights before encountering Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 last December. Rakhmonov won by unanimous decision, but the competitive fight did not diminish Garry’s reputation, and he now aims to stop Prates’s momentum.
Prates, part of the Fighting Nerds team alongside notable fighters like Caio Borralho, Mauricio Ruffy, and Jean Silva, is on an 11-fight winning streak. In his last fight in November, “The Nightmare” knocked out veteran welterweight Neil Magny in under one round.
