The UFC fighter trying to give up smoking 10 a day

Before the pair’s welterweight fight on Saturday, Ian Machado Garry preferred to concentrate on the fight.

Prates, a 31-year-old Brazilian, has admitted to smoking 10 cigarettes per day in preparation for facing the Irishman at UFC Fight Night in Kansas City, Missouri. He has stated that he is “trying to smoke less to get fitter and healthier.”

Given the potential health risks of cigarettes, which include cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and lung cancer, high-level athletes rarely smoke.

“His entire country wants me to win, while the dude smokes cigarettes, while I’m in Brazil.” He made those life choices, not something I should participate in,” Machado Garry said.

Prates, who has won his first four UFC fights by knockout, has stated that he wants to stop smoking altogether in the future, but that’s “hard.”

In his post-fight press conference in November, Prates asked if he could smoke a cigarette, but he claimed it was denied because smoking was prohibited there.

Machado Garry, 27, suggested a different plan when asked by the media if he would smoke a cigar with Prates following their Saturday contest.

“I won’t smoke if I don’t.” But he said, “I can sit down and talk about how I knocked him out and how I can help him improve.”

After Jamahal Hill withdrew from his initial fight with Khalil Rountree, Jamaal Hill withdrew injured from their first fight.

After taking Belal Muhammad in December, Machado Garry took the fight with little notice, which was followed by a consolation defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov.

It describes who I am and the character I am. They refer to us as the “fighting Irish” because I was born and raised in Dublin, Machado Garry said.

Rakhmonov’s defeat put an end to Machado Garry’s impressive eight-fight winning streak in the UFC.

Prates is 13th overall while the Irishman is currently ranked seventh in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Machado Garry has won eight fights since making his UFC debut in 2021, with three coming by knockout, which equals Prates’ 100% finish rate.

Although Machado Garry lacks Prates’ knockout power, he still has some of the best welterweight striking stats.

He leads the list in terms of significant strike accuracy, ranking sixth with 55%, followed by title rival Della Maddalena, who has 55%, and former champion Leon Edwards, who has 54% in comparison.

Machado Garry’s striking differential, which is 1.9, also ranks eighth.