Ian Machado Garry earned a unanimous decision victory over Carlos Prates in the welterweight main event at Saturday`s UFC Fight Night in Kansas. The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of the Irish fighter. This win marks a successful return for Garry following his December defeat and is Prates` first loss in the UFC.
Garry endured a late offensive push from his Brazilian opponent but managed to survive until the final bell in a tense conclusion. Having controlled the majority of the fight with effective movement, feinting, wrestling, and diverse striking, Garry stated he was not significantly hurt by Prates` fifth-round surge.
“I wasn`t hurt enough to not know where I was, I was conscious in every moment,” Garry commented after receiving the decision. He expressed respect for Prates, acknowledging his power: “That man hits like a truck… I told everyone what I was going to do – outclass him – and I believe I did that.”
Looking ahead, Machado Garry revealed he will serve as the backup fighter for the welterweight championship bout between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena scheduled for UFC 315 on May 10th. He added, “My entire goal is to prove I`m one of the most game fighters who has ever existed. I`ve got the fighting Irish in my blood and this is what`s next for me.”
In the co-main event of the evening, Mingyang Zhang brought Anthony Smith`s MMA career to an end with a first-round TKO victory at 4:03. Zhang overwhelmed the former light heavyweight title challenger with a barrage of punches and elbows to secure the win.
Despite the loss, Smith expressed pride in his career achievements. “I`m just gonna be grateful it happened,” Smith said in the octagon following the bout, adding, “I appreciate you guys.” Smith concludes his mixed martial arts career with a record of 37-22 overall, including 13 wins across 25 appearances in the UFC. Zhang improves his record to 19-6, maintaining his streak of finishing all his wins in the first round, while Smith finished his career on a three-fight skid.
Marcus Bellamy