The UFC are back in the Heart of America, Kansas City for a fierce fight night with a new main event arguably better than the original.
Welterweights take centre stage stepping up on short notice to replace the original headliner of Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree Jr. Many fans have conflicted opinions on Ian Machado Garry but all can agree he has a set of stones. After taking on the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov at the end of 2024 on short notice he once again answers the UFC call for a short notice opportunity. In the fight with Rakhmonov the Irishman gave a good account for himself but ultimately suffered his first career defeat. However, the Irishman believes the loss did not taint his resume as he aims for a title shot. The 170lbs title is on the line at UFC 315, for Garry to be in conversation with the winner his performance in Kansas City must be exquisite.
The other half of the main event is Carlos Prates, one of the sports top talents coming out of the hottest MMA gym, The Fighting Nerds. The Brazilian is perfect since joining the UFC with four fights, four finishes and four performance bonuses. A Jiu Jitsu black belt and elite striking to match Prates is already a fan favourite and his left hand has been compared to his fellow countryman Alex Pereira. For Prates this is his first UFC main event against his toughest opponent to date. Outside the cage Prates has some ‘bad’ habits including drinking and excessive smoking however this is yet to effect his performance inside the octagon. Could the five rounds this weekend be the breaking point?
Ones To Watch
In the co-main slot Anthony Smith makes his final walk to the UFC octagon. After an extensive UFC career he will lay down his gloves in Kansas City, however he does not have an easy exit. His final foe will be China’s Zhang Mingyang. At just 26 years old the UFC believe they have an excellent key into the Asian market. The ‘Mountain Tiger’ is a beast inside the cage with 18 wins and 18 finishes. His UFC tenure has began spectacularly with consecutive rapid first round KO victories. MMA careers rarely end on a high and it appears Smith could be facing a grisly finale at UFC Kansas City.
Featuring on the main card, a featherweight matchup including Uganda’s first UFC fighter aiming for a ranking spot. David Onama has been non stop entertainment since getting into the UFC in 2021. Fighting out of Kansas City it’ll be a short trip to the T-Mobile Center with a hometown crowd rallied behind him. Giga Chikadze is the man defending his ranking after spells of inactivity and a dominant defeat to Arnold Allen last time out. With 10 UFC bouts under his belt and only two losses many thought the Georgian would rise quickly however, injuries and recent losses have slowed that rise. If he snaps Onama’s three fight win streak he will certainly be back on track to the top of 145lbs division.
UFC Kansas City
Main Card
Welterweight – Ian Machado Garry vs Carlos Prates
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Light Heavyweight – Anthony Smith vs Zhang Mingyang
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Featherweight – Giga Chikadze vs David Onama
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Middleweight – Michel Pereira vs Abus Magomedov
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Welterweight – Randy Brown vs Nicolas Dalby
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Middleweight – Ikram Aliskerov vs Andre Muniz
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Prelims
Flyweight – Matt Schnell vs Jimmy Flick
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Lightweight – Evan Elder vs Gauge Young
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Featherweight – Chris Guiterrez vs John Castaneda
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Batamweight – Da’Mon Blackshear vs Alatengheili
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Bantamweight – Malcolm Wellmaker vs Cameron Saaiman
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Women’s Strawweight – Jaqueline Amorim vs Polyana Viana
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Featherweight – Timmy Cuamba vs Roberto Romero
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Women’s Bantamweight – Chelsea Chandler vs Joselyne Edwards
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