5 things to watch out for at UFC Fight Night: Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates
This weekend sees the UFC visit Kansas City, Missouri, for the first time in two years. The fans there should be treated to a good show.
UFC Fight Night: Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates is filled with fascinating bouts, making it a much more intriguing event than your usual Fight Night fare. So with plenty to look forward to, this event is one that fans should definitely make sure they check out.
Here are five things to watch out for at UFC Fight Night: Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates.
#5. Ikram Aliskerov will be looking to bounce back from his first UFC loss
UFC fans haven't seen Ikram Aliskerov since his bad knockout loss to Robert Whittaker last June. This weekend will see the Dagestani middleweight prospect return to action, this time against grappler Andre Muniz.
It's safe to say that Aliskerov has plenty to prove in this comeback bout. There were a handful of caveats to his loss to Whittaker. Not only was 'The Reaper' a big step up for the Dagestani, but the fight also came on relatively short notice.
The truth, though, is that we don't really know how good Aliskerov is. He looked great in his first two octagon bouts, but one was against a natural welterweight (Warlley Alves) and the other against a fighter with a questionable chin (Phil Hawes).
Muniz, on the other hand, is battle tested and proven. He's beaten the likes of Jacare Souza and Uriah Hall and has faced top ten fighters like Brendan Allen too.
If Aliskerov can find a way past the Brazilian's grappling and take Muniz out, then it'll be very easy to imagine all of the hype around him coming back. That makes their bout this weekend one of the most intriguing on the card.
#4. Michel Pereira will be hoping to rebound, but can he do it?
Last year, it looked like Michel Pereira was on the fast track to title contention in the UFC middleweight division.
'Demolidor' had calmed down his wild style and appeared to have improved dramatically for it, and his deadly striking and unorthodox submissions had carried him to an eight-fight win streak.
Against Anthony Hernandez, though, the old Pereira reared his head somewhat. He struggled on the ground with 'Fluffy', blew up and ended up losing via fifth round TKO.
This weekend will see Pereira attempt to bounce back. He's set to face a stylistically good opponent in the form of Abus Magomedov, a fighter far more likely to stand and trade than look to drag him into a ground war like Hernandez did.
However, the beating that 'Demolidor' took from 'Fluffy' was the kind of loss that could have a lasting effect on any fighter.
We should learn plenty about whether Pereira really can climb up to the elite level, then. If he shows no ill effects from that loss and batters Magomedov, or manages to survive some tricky spots on the ground to win, then it'll be fair to say he's back on track.
If not, it's hard to see what the future might hold for him.
#3. Anthony Smith will want to sign off his UFC career on a high note
One fighter who we already know is set to retire after his bout this weekend is Anthony Smith.
The former light-heavyweight title challenger was badly beaten by Dominick Reyes in his last bout. Unlike fellow veterans Clay Guida and Chris Weidman, who lost at the same event and were then pushed into retirement, though, 'Lionheart' has been given one last go-around by the UFC.
Whether Smith can sign off on a high note is one of the most intriguing questions going into next weekend's event.
His opponent, Mingyang Zhang, is completely unheralded, but he's also a dangerous finisher with 12 knockout wins to his name. There's every chance, then, that the UFC is looking to build him up with a win over Smith.
However, 'Lionheart' did pull off a big win over a similarly-touted prospect in Vitor Petrino a year ago. If he can do the same to 'The Mountain Tiger', then he can head into retirement in perfect fashion.
If that's the case, then it'll be a rare example of a storybook ending to a career in the octagon.
#2. Can Ian Machado Garry make Carlos Prates fight on his terms?
This weekend's headliner will see top fifteen-ranked welterweights Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates squaring off in what could be one of the best fights of 2025 so far.
Ranked at No.7, Machado Garry is the more proven of the two fighters. 'The Future' holds wins over opponents like Michael 'Venom' Page and Geoff Neal, and pushed Shavkat Rakhmonov to the limit in their clash last year.
However, the Irishman doesn't possess the wild power that Prates does, and that makes this a very dangerous fight for him.
One thing to watch out for in this clash, then, is whether Machado Garry can force 'The Nightmare' to fight his fight, rather than the kind of shootout that the Brazilian would prefer.
'The Future' has been criticised for not being overly exciting previously, but if he can stay on the outside and avoid damage while picking Prates off - as he did to Neal - then he may be able to find a path to victory.
It might not be the kind of fight that the UFC or Dana White wants to see, then, but it's more important for Machado Garry to win here. To do this, he can't let Prates dictate how this fight plays out.
#1. Carlos Prates will be hoping that his striking power allows him to pass his toughest test yet
Carlos Prates will become the latest member of the Fighting Nerds team to make a big step up in competition this weekend. 'The Nightmare' has used his brutal striking power to dispatch four opponents in the octagon to date, most notably knocking out Li Jingliang and Neil Magny.
Ian Machado Garry, though, promises a different test. The Irishman is not a gatekeeper like Magny or Li, he's a very legitimate contender for the UFC welterweight title.
'The Nightmare' will still be confident, though. Machado Garry will hope to keep him on the end of his strikes and pick at him from a distance, but Prates may hold a trump card in the form of his surprisingly long reach.
Based on what he did to Magny with a glancing blow, 'The Nightmare' is capable of knocking anyone out. If his punching power can allow him to make another step up and win this weekend, it's hard not to imagine him fighting for the welterweight title very soon.