Irish welterweight fighter Ian Machado Garry is scheduled to compete against fellow welterweight Carlos Prates in Kansas City this Saturday night. Garry aims to deliver a standout performance to remind everyone of his capabilities.
This fight marks Machado Garry`s return to the octagon following a close decision defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov last December. Facing Prates is a crucial step as he seeks to solidify his claim for a shot at the UFC welterweight title.
Garry, known by the nickname `The Future`, intends to secure a convincing victory in this main event bout to restore his standing in the division.
“That [Shavkat fight] was so much fun and I enjoyed every second of it,” he shared with Sky Sports MMA Club. “I enjoyed the short notice [call-up,] the excitement preparing for this boogeyman that they called him.”
Expressing confidence in his improved abilities, Garry stated, “I am far better than I believed I was, go show the world. I do not see Carlos Prates getting to the end of the second [round] and if he does, fair play to him. But then I`m not going to let him get past the third.”
Machado Garry`s upcoming fight happens just weeks before the current champion, Belal Muhammad, is set to defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena, who stepped in as a replacement for the injured Rakhmonov.
Despite his loss to Rakhmonov, Garry feels he should have been considered for the championship opportunity against Muhammad.
He voiced his frustration, particularly given that he believes he caused the injury that sidelined Rakhmonov. “I feel like when you do a number one contender fight, and fair enough my hand didn’t get raised and I don’t believe I won the fight, I believe it was 3-2 to Shavkat. [However], when Shavkat can’t compete because of an injury to his knee that I absolutely caused in that fight. I may not have won the battle, but I won the war. [So,], to not even get a call [from the UFC] I felt was disrespectful.”
“It irritated me that I didn’t even get the respect of a call to say, would you [fight Belal Muhammad for the UFC title]?” he added.
This frustration intensified into anger for Garry when Della Maddalena, who had been recovering from recent injuries, was given the title shot instead. “I was seething, just seething when I found out they were giving it to a guy that has been injured and hasn’t fought for a year. For me it was more of a respect thing,” he commented. “I know what Jack [Maddalena] has done and what Jack can do in this division. It’s not against him, but the guy has been battling injury.”
With future title aspirations on the line, a strong performance against Prates, who boasts an 11-fight win streak, is essential for Machado Garry.
Garry indicated that his performance on Saturday would speak for itself regarding a title shot demand. “April 26 when I knock out Carlos Prates, you’ll see [how I demand a title shot.] That’s my way of doing things, I don’t need to talk [constantly over social media]. I don’t need to say it to your face, but I’ll say it after when I’m on that microphone.”
He concluded by arguing for his marketability: “The truth is [Maddalena] vs Belal isn’t as interesting as Machado Garry vs Belal and that’s the reality of the situation. I am far more interesting in and outside the octagon. There is going to be more people paying for pay-per-views and more people paying to be in that be in that arena [to] watch my main event.”
Marcus Bellamy