Ian Machado Garry returned to the win column in the main event of UFC Kansas City, though his victory over Carlos Prates proved to be a hard-fought battle that included a significant late scare.
“The Future” secured a unanimous decision with scorecards reading 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in his favor. However, the official scores don`t fully convey the intensity of the fight, particularly how close Prates came to securing an upset finish.
After Garry appeared to be leading on the scorecards through the first three rounds, Prates mounted a strong comeback. He claimed the fourth round with a damaging flurry of punches and dominated much of the fifth, culminating in heavy ground-and-pound that brought him moments away from potentially finishing the fight via knockout. Despite being in deep trouble, Garry managed to survive until the final bell.
The dramatic conclusion prompted reactions from several professional fighters, many of whom felt Prates was on the verge of victory. Sergio Pettis commented on social media, expressing the sentiment that “Prates could have finished that shit. Bad decisions at the end.”
Prominent figures such as Henry Cejudo, Casey O’Neill, and Derek Brunson were also among those who shared their thoughts on Prates` near-successful comeback attempt and the main event`s tense moments.
The UFC Kansas City main event generated considerable buzz across social media platforms, with numerous reactions from the MMA community, including general comments like:
