5 takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates

The UFC headed to Kansas City, Missouri, last night for what turned out to be a solid event. Fans in attendance were treated to some excellent action from start to finish.

UFC Fight Night: Ian Machado Garry vs Carlos Prates saw a number of fun fights and featured seven finishes, making it one of 2025's better Fight Nights to date. With plenty of talking points, this event will be one to look at for a while.

Here are five takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Garry vs. Prates.

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#5. Malcolm Wellmaker's UFC debut was one of the best in recent memory

The preliminary bouts at last night's event were entertaining, featuring cool finishes and impressive showings. The one that stood above the rest was the UFC debut of bantamweight prospect Malcolm Wellmaker.

The unbeaten fighter looked good in his knockout win on 'Dana White's Contender Series' in 2024, but Cameron Saaiman was a big step up for him in terms of competition.

That didn't matter, though, as Wellmaker uncorked one of the year's best knockouts to date to win a $50k bonus. The killer shot was a right hook, and it landed so cleanly that Saaiman was knocked across the octagon to the ground. Wellmaker did follow it up, but if he'd wanted to, he could have taken a walk-off KO instead.

It's too early to consider how good Wellmaker might be, as he'll face trickier opponents than Saaiman in the future. For now, this was an excellent start to his UFC career.

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#4. Randy Brown and Nicolas Dalby put on one of the best rounds of 2025

The decision to put welterweight journeymen Randy Brown and Nicolas Dalby on last night's main card was a curious one, particularly with some strong bouts on the prelim card. However, the decision paid off, as the two men put on a hell of a brawl, earning the 'Fight of the Night' award.

Round 1 was decent. But Round 2 lit the arena up. While it lasted just two minutes, it was probably one of the most action-packed rounds of 2025.

Behind on the scorecards, it was Dalby who came out swinging, putting Brown on his back foot. However, 'Rudeboy' quickly fired back, hurting his Danish opponent with a right hand, and from there, all hell broke loose.

Dalby threw caution to the wind and decided to continue to throw haymakers. When Brown obliged, the fight quickly became a shootout ala Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway - right down to the knockout.

That knockout saw Brown detonate a right hand to the temple of Dalby, knocking him out cold instantly, and 'Rude Boy' definitely didn't need to follow up.

It's fair to suggest that Brown probably shouldn't fight like this regularly for the good of his health, but this was a wicked knockout that will probably earn him a bigger fight shortly. It'll also make all of 2025's highlight reels.

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#3. Could it be a good idea for Ikram Aliskerov to drop to 170 pounds?

One of last night's big winners was Ikram Aliskerov. The Dagestani prospect bounced back from his previous knockout loss to former UFC champion Robert Whittaker last year by dispatching Andre Muniz impressively.

Muniz looked outgunned from the off and saw his one takedown attempt stuffed easily. That was always likely to be a bad sign. Moments later, Aliskerov landed a left hand that seemed to have a delayed effect, eventually causing him to collapse.

The Dagestani then wasted no time finishing the Brazilian and picking up his third win in the octagon. For as good as he looked, though, it was notable that Aliskerov was giving up a decent amount of size to Muniz, and didn't look ripped.

With that in mind, could a move to 170 pounds be worth exploring for him? Based on his physical appearance, he could probably make the weight, and he would have the ability to test most of the top welterweights on the roster. If the move is something he's willing to attempt, then it could definitely be worth considering in the future.

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#2. Anthony Smith went out on his shield and received classy treatment from the UFC

Very few fighters get to finish their careers in the octagon with a win, and unfortunately, Anthony Smith couldn't manage it last night.

'Lionheart' announced that he'd be hanging up his gloves after his bout against Zhang Mingyang.

Smith never quite looked comfortable against 'The Mountain Tiger'. A slashing elbow opened a bad cut on the former light-heavyweight title challenger's head, and it was downhill from there for Smith.

An attempted takedown was defended by Zhang, who then destroyed 'Lionheart' with brutal ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in.

Post-fight, Smith was treated brilliantly by the UFC. Not only was he given a lengthy video package to commemorate his time in the octagon, but he was also allowed a decent time on the microphone to say goodbye.

It was curious to see 'Lionheart' arguably given a better send-off than more accomplished fighters such as Stipe Miocic; it was also an example of a classic UFC modus operandi.

The UFC has always treated fighters it sees as "company men" better than others, and Smith not only acts as an analyst for them but has never turned down a fight, either. At the end of the day, while he didn't win, this was the perfect way for him to hang up his gloves and give this event a very memorable moment.

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#1. Ian Machado Garry largely outclassed Carlos Prates, but Round 5 was worrying

Up until the latter part of Round 4, last night's headliner was seemingly going to plan for Ian Machado Garry. 'The Future' was faced with a very dangerous foe in the form of Carlos Prates, but his game plan was working perfectly. In the first three rounds, he picked 'The Nightmare' apart with his patient striking, using his kicks, combination work, and grappling, and never allowing Prates to find rhythm.

If the fight had followed the same pattern until the final bell, it would've been seen as a flawless victory for the Irishman.

However, Prates finally found his range in Round 4, and from there, the fight descended into risky territory for Garry.

'The Future' was on the retreat for the majority of the round, and then things got worse in the fifth, as he was badly hurt at times and essentially managed to hold on for the win.

The victory is still a huge one for Garry. Not only has it been confirmed by Dana White that he will be the alternate for the upcoming UFC welterweight title bout between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, but it also gave him a win over one of the hottest prospects in the division.

However, the way the fight ended will also mean that he will likely not gain too many fans, which will probably be a source of frustration for him.

Overall, then - assuming he's not needed at UFC 315 - Garry will probably be desperate for a finish next time out. He's a world-class fighter, no doubt - but he's still hunting for the signature win.