Ian Machado Garry is brimming with confidence as he prepares to face Carlos Prates, a rising star in the welterweight division.
UFC announced on Tuesday that Garry will now headline UFC Kansas City on April 26 against Carlos 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, while unranked, has generated significant excitement after a stellar UFC debut in 2024, going undefeated with four knockout victories, 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, ‘Who do we need? Who do we call?’ They call me. Why? Because I am a true fighter who wants to compete against the best in the world. I am going to demonstrate my abilities to everyone. Carlos Prates is formidable, but this is my territory. I love fighting more than anything else in this world.”
“Kansas City, here we come. Ireland and Brazil, book your tickets and flights.”
Similar to Prates, Garry had an impressive undefeated start to his UFC career, winning his first eight fights before encountering Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 last December. Rakhmonov won by unanimous decision, but the competitive fight did little to damage Garry’s reputation, 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 latest fight last November, “The Nightmare” quickly knocked out veteran welterweight Neil Magny in under a round.
