Carlos Prates and Ian Machado Garry are just days away from a fiery showdown, and the anticipation is electrifying. Set to ignite UFC Kansas City, this clash of elite strikers promises fireworks. Amid the rising tension, Garry has stirred the pot by resurfacing old footage of Prates labeling him a quitter. Prates, however, has chosen silence, keeping his focus locked in on fight night. Adding fuel to the fire, the reigning welterweight champion has now stepped in, boldly predicting the outcome and sharing his unfiltered thoughts on the chaos unfolding.

Belal Muhammad is closely monitoring the situation between Ian Garry and Carlos Prates, as a victory for either fighter could propel them into title contention. So, what does Belal Muhammad think about the ultimate showdown of the strikers? Well, the welterweight champion believes that Ian Garry might have an upper hand over the ‘Fighting Nerd’ sensation.

He took to his X handle to predict the match in favor of the Irishman, “I think Ian Garry gets it done this weekend.” Belal Muhammad believes that Ian Garry might have a better chance at defeating the Brazilian, but is this true? Well, if we take a look at all the records. Carlos Prates might be one of the scariest fighters in the welterweight division right now. Riding an 11-fight winning streak, he has finished 10 of those victories by knockout.

In addition to that, the Brazilian remains undefeated in the UFC and has finished all of his opponents by knockout—none of them have made it to the third round. On the other hand, Ian Garry is coming off a defeat against Shavkat Rakhmonov. Well, Rakhmonov is indeed his only defeat, but one cannot deny that ‘The Future’ has won most of his fights by unanimous decision.

Belal Muhammad’s words might carry some weight, but one should note that Garry has a good relationship with the champion, while Prates outright called out Muhammad, saying, “It’s much harder to beat Islam Makhachev than Belal.” Muhammad responded on social media with a sharp retort: “I would take this nerd’s lunch money.”

So, Muhammad might be a bit biased in his analogy. However, one thing is certain—the fact that Prates vs. Garry will be a striking masterclass. Ahead of the fight this weekend, Ian Garry has been calling Prates a quitter. And how did the #13th-ranked fighter approach the situation? Let us find out.

Carlos Prates tears into Ian Garry’s baseless accusations

In a conversation with the media, Ian Garry showcased a video of Carlos Prates giving up mid-fight against Mikhail Romanchuk back in 2017. Sharing the footage, Garry called out Prates, stating that he is not a real fighter. Carlos Prates was initially silent about such a callout; however, just before their ultimate clash, the Brazilian had come forward to brutally rip the Irishman apart.

During a conversation with MMA Hoje, Carlos Prates reminded Ian Garry just how terrifying he is as a fighter, “I’ve been in the company for a year, two main events, four bonuses, four knockouts. I think this kid has been in the UFC for about four years, he’s never had a main event. He won one bonus I think in his life. A bunch of decisions there, a f—ing boring fighter.”

He further added, “He’s fighting in the main event today because I chose him… I think he’s making even more [money] than he made when he went to fight Shavkat… And at the end of it all, after he’s all beat up, when he wakes up after the fight, he’ll have to come and say: ‘Thanks, Carlos Prates, you made me some good money.”

Prates didn’t hold back, making sure that Ian Garry knew his place. Riding an 11-fight winning streak, the Brazilian has plenty of momentum behind him to secure a victory—but what will be the actual outcome of the fight? Share your thoughts in the comments below.