Ian Machado Garry vs Carlos Prates: The UFC fighter trying to give up smoking 10 a day

Prates, who has won his first four fights in the UFC, all by knockout, has said he would like to quit smoking entirely in the future, but has found it “hard”.

After his win over Neil Magny in November, Prates asked if he could smoke a cigarette in his post-fight news conference but said his request was denied as smoking was forbidden in the area.

When asked by the media if he would share a cigarette with Prates after their contest on Saturday, Machado Garry, 27, suggested a different idea.

“I don’t smoke so I won’t. But I can sit down and talk about how I knocked him out and I can teach him how to get a little better,” he said.

The headlining fight was made between Machado Garry and Prates after Jamahal Hill withdrew injured from his bout with Khalil Rountree at the beginning of the month.

It is the second fight in a row that Machado Garry has stepped in on short notice after replacing Belal Muhammad in December before a narrow defeat by Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“It speaks to the character and the person I am. I’m Dublin born and bred, they call us the fighting Irish for a reason,” said Machado Garry.

“When you call me and say “hey Ian, do you want to fight?” There’s only one answer.”