Ian Machado Garry secured a commanding performance over five rounds to defeat Carlos Prates in the UFC Kansas City main event, successfully navigating a brief moment of danger late in the fight.
Garry demonstrated superior movement and striking techniques throughout the bout, consistently keeping Prates guessing and outworking him on the feet. His strategic inclusion of takedowns also prevented Prates from settling into a consistent rhythm until the final stages of the contest.
In the fight`s closing minutes, Prates managed to land some significant strikes and sharp ground and pound. However, these impactful moments came too late to change the outcome. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, all in favor of Garry, awarding him a unanimous decision victory.
Reflecting on his opponent, Garry stated, “I know how dangerous that man is. I have nothing but respect for him. I said it to him after the fight, 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.”
Garry utilized constant movement to evade Prates` powerful punches while also deploying numerous right high kicks, aiming to control the Brazilian`s dangerous left hand. Towards the end of the first round, a slip sent Prates to the canvas, where Garry capitalized by landing a sharp punch that caused a small cut under his eye.
As Garry established his rhythm and became increasingly comfortable in the striking exchanges, Prates struggled to generate consistent offense. Prates` relative inactivity allowed Garry to pick his shots effectively, landing clean strikes such as a hard right hand and an inside elbow.
Garry`s performance on the feet was clinical, keeping Prates off balance with feints and strikes, and he even attempted several takedowns for added pressure. It wasn`t until deep into the third round that Prates began throwing his signature kicks, but they lacked the impact needed to significantly disrupt Garry`s game plan.
Garry continued to land effective strikes, including a powerful uppercut that visibly snapped Prates` head back. Garry followed up by briefly taking Prates down, though the grappling exchange was short-lived before they returned to striking range.
Garry continued mixing in takedown attempts, seemingly with the goal of wearing down Prates and draining his energy. Garry consistently put together combinations of three and four strikes, while Prates primarily responded with single shots.
As the fourth round neared its conclusion, Prates landed a significant punch that clearly got Garry`s attention. Garry appeared momentarily wobbled, and Prates aggressively pursued a potential finish.
A late takedown attempt by Garry was countered, resulting in Prates landing some heavy ground and pound. However, Garry remained resilient as the clock ran out on Prates` surge. Post-fight, Garry claimed he was never in serious trouble but acknowledged the necessity of respecting Prates` knockout power.
Regarding the late scare, Garry commented, “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.” He added praise for his opponent: “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 serves to re-establish Garry following his close decision loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov last December in a bout many viewed as a No. 1 contender eliminator. Garry expressed his intention to attend UFC 315 in Montreal to closely watch the main event between champion Belal Muhammad and contender Jack Della Maddalena.
Declaring his immediate future plans, Garry exclaimed, “This is what’s next for me! [Took] 21 days’ notice against Shavkat [Rakhmonov]. [Took] 25 days’ notice against this man tonight. He’s a beast. 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!”
