Ian Machado Garry secured a unanimous decision victory over Carlos Prates in the welterweight main event at UFC Fight Night in Kansas on Saturday, despite a challenging late-round surge from his opponent.
The judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in Garry`s favor, marking a crucial win following his December loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov. This bout also represented Prates` inaugural defeat within the UFC octagon.
The Irish fighter withstood a fierce late-game attack from the Brazilian, successfully seeing the contest through to the final bell in a highly tense conclusion.
Garry (16-1 MMA) stated he remained composed despite Prates` attempt to secure a fifth-round TKO, attributing his confidence to having controlled four out of five rounds with his agile movement, feints, wrestling, and unorthodox striking.
“I wasn`t hurt to the point of not knowing where I was; I was fully conscious throughout,” Machado Garry explained after his decision win over Prates (21-7 MMA). “I recognize his danger and have immense respect for him.”
“He hits incredibly hard and has been on a dominant run,” Garry commented. “But I had confidently predicted I would outclass him, and I believe I achieved that.”
During his post-fight interview, Machado Garry disclosed that he is serving as the back-up fighter for the upcoming welterweight title bout at UFC 315 on May 10, featuring champion Belal Muhammad (24-3) against Jack Della Maddalena (17-2).
“My ultimate aim is to demonstrate that I am among the most tenacious fighters ever,” he added, emphasizing, “I have the fighting Irish spirit in my veins, and this is the next step for my career.”
Co-Main Event: Mingyang Zhang Ends Anthony Smith`s Career with TKO
In the co-main event, Mingyang Zhang brought Anthony Smith`s MMA career to an abrupt end with a first-round TKO victory at 4:03. Zhang`s relentless barrage of punches and elbows overwhelmed the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, leading to the stoppage.
Despite this definitive loss, Smith expressed pride in his accomplishments throughout a career marked by both highs and lows.
“I`m simply grateful it all happened,” Smith remarked in the Octagon after his final fight, adding, “I appreciate all of you.”
Smith concludes his MMA career with 25 UFC appearances, securing 13 victories, and ending on a three-fight losing streak (37-22 MMA). Conversely, Zhang (19-6 MMA) maintains a perfect record of first-round finishes in all his career wins.
