Ian Machado Garry claimed a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates in the welterweight main event at Saturday`s UFC Fight Night in Kansas. Despite facing a late challenge, the Irish fighter held on for the victory.
The judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in Garry`s favor. This win marks a positive step for Garry following his loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December, and it represents Prates` first defeat in the UFC.
Machado Garry (16-1 MMA) stated that he maintained control for four out of the five rounds, utilizing his elusive movement, feints, wrestling, and diverse striking. He was not significantly affected by Prates` aggressive push for a TKO in the final round.
Following the decision win against Prates (21-7 MMA), Machado Garry commented, “I wasn`t hurt to the point of losing awareness; I was fully conscious throughout. I respect him greatly and know how dangerous he is.”
He added, “That man hits incredibly hard. He`s been on a winning streak, but I said I would outclass him, and I believe I achieved that.”
In his post-fight interview, Machado Garry announced that he will be the backup fighter for the welterweight championship bout between current champion Belal Muhammad (24-3) and Jack Della Maddalena (17-2) at UFC 315 on May 10th.
He concluded, “My aim is to show I am one of the most competitive fighters around. The `fighting Irish` spirit is in me, and this [being the backup] is the next step.”
Co-Main Event: Mingyang Zhang Stops Anthony Smith
In the co-main event on Saturday, Mingyang Zhang defeated former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith by first-round TKO at 4:03. This result brought Smith`s MMA career to a difficult close. Zhang overwhelmed Smith with a rapid succession of punches and elbows, leading to the referee stopping the fight.
Despite the outcome, Smith expressed pride in his accomplishments throughout his varied career.
After the loss, Smith said in the Octagon, “I`m just going to be grateful it happened. I appreciate you guys.”
Smith retires from MMA with 25 UFC appearances and 13 victories. Zhang (19-6 MMA) maintains his record of finishing all his career wins in the first round, while Smith (37-22 MMA) concludes his fighting journey on a three-fight losing streak.
