"Crawling for his life", "Real Brazilain" - Fans devided as Ian Machado Garry releases first statement following win against Carlos Prates  

Fans had mixed reactions after Ian Machado Garry shared his future plans following his victory over Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City on April 26. Garry, who stepped in on short notice to face Prates, outperformed him with effective striking and wrestling, ultimately winning by unanimous decision (48-47 X 2, 49-46).

This marked Garry's second consecutive short-notice fight, following a respectable performance in a unanimous decision loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December 2024.

After the victory, Garry took to Instagram to announce his intention to be the backup fighter for welterweight champion Belal Muhammad's first title defence against No. 5-ranked Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10.

While expressing his gratitude towards fight fans for their support, Garry said:

"We just did it again. 25 days' notice against one of the most dangerous guys in the division. And guess what? Next week, I'm flying to Canada. I'm gonna be back-up for that world title fight, and if anybody slips up, you better believe there is a world title coming back home to Dublin, Ireland and Brazil, baby! I love you, thank you for your love and your support. Let's do this one more time. Iam the baddest man in the world and there is no one stopping me from reaching my dreams. Love you all."

Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments below:

Fans flooded the comments section of Garry's post to express their thoughts. While most praised his performance and the improvements made by the team at the Diego Lima-led Chute Boxe Academy, some criticized Garry, noting that Prates came dangerously close to finishing the fight in its final moments.

One fan commented:

"The real Brazilian."

Another fan wrote:

"Bro crawling for his life."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Throughout the early rounds, Garry effectively mixed his striking and wrestling, causing Prates to struggle. However, in Rounds 4 and 5, Prates responded aggressively, delivering several clean shots that stunned Garry.

A failed takedown attempt by Garry allowed Prates to gain top position in the closing minute of Round 5. Nonetheless, Garry managed to hold on until the final bell, securing the win by a narrow margin on the scorecards. The fight marked Prates' first defeat in the UFC.