Carlos Prates vs. Ian Machado Garry squared off in a Welterweight contest earlier tonight (Sat., April 26, 2025) at UFC Kansas City from T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. In a quality scrap, Prates earned the victory.

The five-round main event began with an exchange of low kicks as the two high-level strikers felt one another out. Garry was the more active man early, but his first single leg shot was stuffed easily. The Irish prospect was really looking for his right high kick. Prates’ defense stayed tight, though his activity was fairly low. When he upped the pressure in the closing minute, Garry ended up capitalizing on a slip with several hard ground strikes before the bell rang.

Garry opened the second with a big body kick followed by a stiff jab. Prates was having a hard time finding the target, though he found a nice stiff jab though. Garry was doing really well defensively moving his head, finding occasional jabs. He lined up a nice counter right hand as well. Prates stuffed another takedown, but the Brazilian was getting frustrated. Garry landed a lovely head kick followed by a cracking combination — the second round featured arguably the best work of his career yet.

By the third, Garry’s confidence was growing. He was standing right in front of Prates more often, firing shots and trusting his pocket defense more than footwork. As a result, Prates landed his left kick a bit more, but he also ate considerably more punches. Midway through the round, Garry stunned him with a lovely uppercut combination. Immediately afterward, Garry succeeded on his first takedown of the fight. The Brazilian worked back to his feet quickly, taking a few shots in the process. When Prates tried to push forward, he was taken down a second time.

With 10 minutes remaining, Garry was absolutely dominating.

Garry continued to stick-and-move well in the fourth. Another well-timed takedown earned him some top control time as Prates worked hard to get back to his feet. Even when Prates did find a home for his punches, Garry was quick to fire back and keep the numbers on his side. In the final 90 seconds, however, Prates finally began to pick up momentum. Garry took some hard shots and started looking a little tired, which proved a real opportunity for the Brazilian puncher.

Suddenly, Garry was bleeding, and the final five felt very interesting.

Prates pushed forward into the fifth, landing a knee and big combo along the fence in the opening minute. He stuffed two shots and freed himself from the clinch, keeping Garry on the defensive with a big left hand land. Garry landed a big right on the counter, even if he looked uncomfortable. With less than 90 seconds remaining, Prates reversed a takedown and landed in half guard. He started dropping heavy shots, and Garry looked hurt badly! Garry kept the scramble going but looked badly wounded. When the two returned to their feet, Garry kept his distance and survived to the final bell.

The final seven minutes featured the vicious Carlos Prates that we’ve come to know and love, but is that enough to win a fight? Not likely. Garry walked away with the unanimous decision in an uneven performance. The first three rounds saw some of the sharpest work of his career, but he ended up getting beaten up in the final portion.

It was part master class, part survival.

Regardless, Garry just stepped up on short-notice to derail the hottest new killer in the division. That’s hard to critique, and the Irish striker deserves serious respect for his skills and guts.

Result: Garry defeats Prates via unanimous decision

For complete UFC Kansas City results and play-by-play, click here.