UFC 310 was a bittersweet experience for rising UFC star Ian Garry. After all, the Irishman lost the zero in his record, but he took the dangerous Shavkat Rakhmonov to the limit and took the 19-0 star to full 25 minutes for the first time in his career. Moreover, he shared the cage with a man who at that point had a 100% finishing rate. And don’t forget, Garry stepped in on short notice as Belal Muhammad pulled out of the bout due to a bone infection. Pretty impressive stuff!

But now, Garry’s back for some redemption as he steps inside the Octagon with yet another dangerous and rising contender, Carlos Prates. And on short notice yet again. But before we get to the fight at UFC on ESPN 66 in Kansas City, it’s important to note that both Ian Garry and Carlos Prates have been on a roll in the UFC. So, let’s take a deeper look at the upcoming as we analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Let’s start with some statistics!

UFC Kansas: Ian Garry vs. Carlos Prates stats

Statistically speaking, Ian Garry has 15 wins and just 1 loss in his MMA career, while Carlos Prates has more experience with 21 wins at the expense of 6 losses. Also, the ‘Fighting Nerds’ affiliate has more than a dozen (19) finishes, eclipsing ‘The Future’, who’s got 8 finishes in his career so far. Prates may have an advantage there, but when it comes to the physical stats, Garry takes the driving wheel here.

Ian Garry is not at all your average 170-pounder as he stands 6’3” tall, which is pretty tall for a welterweight fighter in the UFC. When it comes to Prates, ‘The Nightmare’, he’s just a couple of inches shorter, sporting a 6’1” frame. However, in terms of their weight, there isn’t much to distinguish between the duo, as they compete at 170lbs but normally walk around 198-200 lbs when not in fight camp. Interestingly, Prates is also ahead of Garry in the reach department as the Brazilian (78”) has a four-inch advantage over the Irishman (74”).

So that’s one aspect of the analysis done, and it may not give us a full picture. Statistics apart, there are also their fighting styles and game plans. So, let’s dive into the breakdown of the matchup at UFC Kansas and make a possible prediction as to how the fight goes down.

Garry vs. Prates breakdown and prediction

There’s absolutely no doubt that the main event of UFC Kansas is a full-on striker vs striker fight. But they’re also pretty good on the ground. If we take a look at Carlos Prates, he’s got some serious power as he’s on a 10-fight KO streak at the moment, which is quite an impressive stat to have. But then again, Ian Garry has shown in his last fight that he’s got a pretty good fight IQ, to say the least. Although he lost, he almost got Shavkat Rakhmonov locked in a fifth-round choke, and for a moment, it seemed like he could win.

Garry has also shown the cardio for five-round fights, which could come in handy, given that most of Prates’s fights end pretty early. The most the Fighting Nerds affiliate has ever gone in the UFC is to the second round. Despite that, Prates has finished fighters, such as Neil Magny, who took Garry to the distance in a three-rounder. So, if we have to make a prediction for the fight, it’s more likely that the fight either finishes early in favor of Carlos Prates, or ‘The Future’ eeks out a decision victory at the end of the 25 minutes.

We’ll get the answers pretty soon on April 26 when Fight Night arrives. But in the meantime, share with us your thoughts and predictions for the UFC Kansas headliner in the comments down below.