A fast-rising fan favorite will have a chance to join the welterweight division’s top 10 later this month.
Knockout artist Carlos Prates has been matched against seventh-ranked contender Ian Machado Garry for the main event of UFC’s April 26th card in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, per an announcement made by the promotion.
The five-round clash is replacing a previously-booked light heavyweight headliner between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., which is being delayed due to former champ Hill suffering an injury.
Prates has been one of the more interesting names to watch in the welterweight division over the past year. The Fighting Nerds talent racked up four consecutive “Performance of the Night” stoppage wins in 2024 due to quick and damaging nights at the office.
Past performances saw him catch Charles Radtke with a knee to the head, become the first man to stop Li Jingliang, and put away vet Neil Magny within a round to win his first-ever UFC main event booking.
Prates currently sits 13th in the welterweight standings but would undoubtedly move up numerous spots and into the division’s top 10 with a win in the upcoming performance.
The booking for Prates only became available after his April 12th fight against Geoff Neal fell through over the weekend.
The upcoming fight gives Machado Garry an opportunity to bounce back from his first-ever pro loss and hold onto his high-ranking spot in the division.
Machado Garry dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov last December, snapping a 15-fight undefeated record he had, which included eight UFC wins. The fight proved to have high stakes in the division, as Rakhmonov was booked for a title opportunity shortly after the win (the fight ended up not happening due to champ Belal Muhammad suffering a foot infection).
The Irish fighter proved to be one of the division’s top contenders before then, rising up through the rankings after wins over names like Michael Page and Daniel Rodriguez.
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