Ian Machado Garry returns at UFC Kansas City against surging welterweight, fans react: "THIS IS FIRE"

The news about Ian Machado Garry's return against an emerging contender at UFC Kansas City has caught the attention of MMA fans worldwide. Many were excited about the matchup, sharing their own predictions about the bout.

Combat sports news outlet Championship Rounds recently shared UFC CEO Dana White's announcement regarding UFC Kansas City, which now would be headlined by a welterweight contest between Garry and No. 13 ranked Carlos Prates.

The fight night event will take place on April 26 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The event was initially set to feature Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree, however, Hill's injury caused the bout to get scrapped.

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reaction, with one fan writing:

''THIS IS FIRE''

Another one stated:

''Honestly I think I like this match up more. See if Carlos can stuff the takedowns and find his shots''

Other fans wrote:

''Garry can wrestle, which he should do to avoid Prates power, either way, definitely gets the win''

''Got my tickets when they dropped a while ago and I was beyond thrilled when it was announced! I love this sport''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Prates was scheduled to face Geoff Neal at UFC 314, however during the UFC Mexico broadcast this past weekend, commentator Jon Anik disclosed that their bout was canceled after Neal suffered from an injury.

As for Garry (15-1), he received the opportunity to face top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov in a title eliminator bout at UFC 310 last year. 'The Future' exceeded expectations and put up an impressive performance but lost via unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Prates (21-6) is riding on a four-fight win streak after making his successful promotional debut at UFC Vegas 86. In his recent MMA appearance at UFC Vegas 100, 'The Nightmare' secured an opening-round knockout win against Neil Magny. Notably, all of Prates' wins inside the octagon came via knockouts.

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Ian Machado Garry issues statement after the announcement of Carlos Prates fight

Ian Machado Garry will look to get back to winning ways when he faces Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City at the end of this month.

Upon announcement of the matchup, Garry released a statement on Instagram expressing his excitement:

''I’m excited. Why? The UFC goes, ‘Ah, we need someone. Who do we need? Who do we call?’ You call me. Why? Because I’m a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world. I’m going to show everybody how good I am. Carlos Prates is awesome, but this is my world. I love to fight. There’s nothing in this world I love more than fighting. Kansas City, let’s go!''

Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments below: