Ian Machado Garry is relishing the opportunity to showcase his skill set at UFC Kansas City later this month.
For the second fight in a row, Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has accepted a short-notice bout against one of the UFC welterweight division's "boogeymen." He is set to face Carlos Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a five-round main event on April 26.
This comes just four months after "The Future" stepped in at the last minute to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at UFC 310 in December. Although the Irishman suffered the first defeat of his career in that fight, his stock undeniably rose thanks to his impressive performance. He didn’t hesitate to accept the offer to face Prates this time around.
"I mean, is that not what I'm in this for?" Machado Garry asked during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday. "The excitement. Yeah, fuck it. Let's go. Let's have a short notice fight against one of the most dangerous up-and-comers in the UFC. Let's do it. 100%. Why not? That's the type of things that excite me. That make me want to go out and prove to the world I'm the best."
Machado Garry revealed that not only did he accept the fight the moment it was offered, he did so without even checking who his opponent would be.
"I was in Madrid cornering a teammate of mine from Chute Boxe, and I get a call from my agent and he's like, 'Hey, can you fight (on) short notice?' And I was like, 'what's short notice?' And he was like, '25 days'. I'm like, 'yeah, yeah, right...yeah, sure'.
"I hung up the phone. And then he rings me back and goes, 'Hey, you just hung up!' I was like, 'yeah'. He was like, 'are you in?' I was like, 'yeah, tell the UFC that I'm in'. I was like, '25 days. Let's go. Let's do it. Why not?' He was like, 'don't you want to know who it's against?' I was like, 'oh yeah, that's probably important!'
"I was so focused on the corner (for his team mate), I was getting everything done that I completely forgot about what we were talking about. I was like, 'yeah, for sure. Who is it?' He goes, Carlos Prates'. I was like, 'Oh, sweet. See you man'.
Ian Machado Garry Vows To Knock Carlos Prates Out
Prates enjoyed a sensational debut year inside the Octagon in 2024, racking up four consecutive knockout victories and earning four Performance of the Night bonuses. "The Nightmare" is a member of the famed "Fighting Nerds" team in São Paulo, Brazil—a group that has been impressing UFC fans around the world over the past 18 months
"Yeah, I have", Machado Garry responded when Helwani asked if he had been impressed by Prates' performances in the Octagon so far. "I think he's been successful. I think he's done very well. There's a reason he's on a 10-fight knockout streak, and fair play to him, that's great. And I think his team is phenomenal. I love watching his team, do you know what I mean?
"And I think his team are awesome and they're having a lot of success at the moment and they're a lot of fun to watch. So, yeah, I'm impressed with him to a certain extent. And then I think of him as an opponent and I'm like, 'huh, that's not going to work out well for you, mate'."
"I'm one of the most elite welterweights on the planet, so if this man thinks he's as good as he is, then when he steps across the Octagon on April 26th against me, that's his do or don't time. And I promise you, you've seen it from me every time when I step in that octagon: I look phenomenal. And I promise you right now, I promise you, I feel it in my heart; I see it every time I close my eyes. I'm going to finish this guy."
