TLDR
- Ian Garry wants to fight Carlos Prates if he wins the welterweight title at UFC 330 on Saturday
- Garry defeated Prates by unanimous decision in April 2025 on three weeks’ notice
- Prates has won three straight fights by finish since losing to Garry
- Garry called Prates the most deserving contender in the welterweight division
- Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the 170-pound title Saturday in Philadelphia
Sources: yardbarker.com | bjpenn.com
Ian Machado Garry has his next opponent picked out if he wins the welterweight title at UFC 330 this Saturday. The Irish fighter told reporters at a media day scrum that he wants to face Carlos Prates, but warned the Brazilian knockout artist that a rematch will go even worse than their first meeting.
“I whooped his ass for 24 minutes, and I did it on three weeks’ notice,” Garry said. “So, if he wants to give me three, four months, he knows what’s gonna happen. He’ll be able to sleep well after the next one.”
Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the 170-pound championship Saturday night in Philadelphia. The main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET from the Wells Fargo Center.
First Meeting Between Garry and Prates
Garry defeated Prates by unanimous decision in Kansas City in April 2025. He controlled most of the fight despite taking the bout on short notice after losing a competitive decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2024.
Prates made a late rally in the final minute of their fight. However, it wasn’t enough to change the judges’ scorecards.
Throwback to when Ian Garry made Carlos Prates look like an amateur. #UFC330 pic.twitter.com/z6cP1LsTZv
— 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓕𝓲𝓰𝓰𝔂 👹🩸 (@ChampFiggy) July 30, 2026
Prates’ Three-Fight Winning Streak
Since losing to Garry, Prates has won three straight fights by finish. He knocked out Geoff Neal with one second left in the first round at UFC 319.
Prates then knocked out former champion Leon Edwards in the second round. He followed that up with a third-round TKO victory over another former champion, Jack Della Maddalena.
“Carlos Prates has earned it,” Garry said. “Nobody else in the entire division has earned it. They all need to fight at least one more fight.”
Garry called Prates the most deserving contender in the welterweight division. He acknowledged the Brazilian’s recent run of brutal finishes against two fighters who had never been stopped before.
“Prates is coming off two fights against two guys that have never been finished and he did it in insane fashion,” Garry said. The Irish fighter believes his performance against Prates proves he would dominate even more with a full training camp.
Garry took the Prates fight on just three weeks’ notice. He believes having three to four months to prepare would make the outcome even more one-sided.
The 28-year-old Irish fighter said no other welterweight has earned a title shot with fewer than one more win. This makes Prates the clear choice for his first title defense if he defeats Makhachev.
Makhachev moved up to welterweight and captured the title in his previous fight. The Dagestani fighter will be making his first defense of the 170-pound belt at UFC 330.
Garry and Prates appeared friendly after their April 2025 fight. However, Garry made it clear he is all business when it comes to competing inside the octagon.
UFC 330 takes place Saturday at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
