Top Reasons to Catch UFC Kansas City

A significant seat upgrade in the Ultimate Fighting Championship pecking order could await either Ian Garry or Carlos Prates.

The welterweight hopefuls will lock horns in the UFC on ESPN 66 main event this Saturday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Their encounter arrives at a time when both men appear to be in position to vault into contention at 170 pounds in the not-too-distant future. Garry has compiled an outstanding 8-1 record across his nine appearances inside the Octagon. However, the 27-year-old Irishman finds himself on the rebound for the first time as a professional, having lost a unanimous decision to the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on Dec. 7. A former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder, Garry now operates out of the Chute Boxe affiliate fronted by Diego Lima in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Prates, meanwhile, enters the cage on the strength of an 11-fight winning streak that spans nearly six years. The Fighting Nerds rep last suited up on Nov. 9, when he punched out “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 semifinalist Neil Magny in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 247 confrontation. Prates, 31, boasts 19 finishes among his 21 career victories.

In addition to the Garry-Prates showdown at 170 pounds, here are three other reasons to catch UFC on ESPN 66:

Swan Song

While the sport of mixed martial arts does not lend itself to fairytale endings, Anthony Smith would like nothing more than to be remembered as an exception to the rule. The battle-tested 36-year-old plans to retire following his clash with Mingyang Zhang in the light heavyweight co-headliner. Smith has sputtered as he nears the end of a long and eventful career, with losses in five of his past seven bouts. “Lionheart” last competed in December, when he succumbed to elbows and punches from Dominick Reyes at UFC 310. The setback dropped Smith’s record to 38-21. On the other side of the equation, Zhang has no desire to become a historical footnote. The “Mountain Tiger” steps into the spotlight buoyed by 11 consecutive victories, all of them finishes inside one round. Zhang, 26, last saw action at UFC Fight Night 248, where he disposed of former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Osman Diaz with an elbow strike and follow-up punches a little more than two minutes into their Nov. 23 pairing.

A Highlight Waiting to Happen

Michel Pereira made himself appointment viewing the second he set foot inside the Octagon for the first time some six years ago. “Demolidor” looks to get back on track when he faces Professional Fighters League veteran Abusupiyan Magomedov in a three-round middleweight showcase with clear potential for fireworks. Pereira, 31, has rattled off eight wins across his past nine fights, a humbling fifth-round stoppage loss to Alexander Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 245 in October his only misstep. An equal-opportunity finisher who holds the rank of black belt in karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he has nailed down 20 of his 31 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Magomedov, meanwhile, answers the call to arms having beaten Warlley Alves and Brunno Ferreira in back-to-back outings. The 34-year-old Russian trains out of the UFD Gym in Dusseldorf, Germany. Magomedov has held titles in the Superior Fighting Championship and German MMA Championship organizations.

Like Fine Wine

Even though he has crossed the threshold into his 40s, Nicolas Dalby shows no signs of slowing down. The Rumble Sports product seeks to put another notch on his belt when he toes the line against Randy Brown in a featured welterweight attraction. Dalby, who turned 40 in November, has compiled a 9-2 record with two no contests over his past 13 assignments. The Dane has not fought since he wound up on the wrong side of a contentious split decision against Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22. The historically durable Dalby has never been finished in his 31-fight career. On the other side of the ledger, Brown sports a 13-6 mark in the UFC. The toolsy former Ring of Combat champion last appeared on Dec. 7, when he lost a split verdict to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 winner Bryan Battle at UFC 301. It closed the book on a three-fight winning streak for Brown, who has never suffered back-to-back defeats.