Ian Machado Garry is set to headline UFC Kansas City against Carlos Prates, maintaining high confidence despite a recent loss and aiming to challenge the rising Prates, who has garnered attention with an undefeated streak and multiple knockout victories.
Ian Machado Garry’s confidence is soaring. He’s set to face one of the welterweight division’s hottest fighters, Carlos Prates.
On Tuesday, the UFC announced that Garry will fight Prates in a welterweight bout. This match will headline UFC Kansas City on April 26. It replaces a light heavyweight contest between top contenders Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., which was pulled for undisclosed reasons.
Garry is ranked No. 6 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Meanwhile, Prates is unranked but has generated a lot of buzz. His incredible UFC debut campaign in 2024 saw him go 4-0 with four knockouts, each earning Performance of the Night bonuses.
After the bout announcement, Garry took to Instagram to issue a warning to Prates. “I’m excited,” he said. “Why? The UFC goes, ‘Ah, we need someone. Who do we need? Who do we call?’ You call me.”
“Because I’m a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world,” Garry continued. “I’m going to show everybody how good I am. Carlos Prates is awesome, but this is my world.”
“I love to fight,” he added. “There’s nothing more I love in this world than fighting.” And then he rallied his fans: “Kansas City, let’s go. Ireland, get your tickets, get your flights. Brazil, get your tickets, get your flights.”
Just like Prates, Garry began his UFC career with an impressive undefeated streak. He won his first eight fights before facing Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 last December. Although Rakhmonov defeated Garry by unanimous decision, it didn’t hurt Garry’s reputation much.
Prates aims to keep his momentum going. A member of the prolific Fighting Nerds team—alongside names like Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy—he’s won 11 straight fights overall.
In his most recent outing this past November, “The Nightmare” needed less than a round to knock out welterweight veteran Neil Magny. An impressive feat!