UFC Fight Night Charlotte will witness the return of a highly touted welterweight prospect, Ian Machado Garry. Known to be a nicer version of Conor McGregor, he will be facing Nate Diaz’s teammate, Daniel Rodriguez. The 170lbs bout is set for 3 rounds and will take place on the main card of the UFC event this weekend.
The 36-year-old Daniel Rodriguez is coming off a hard-fought loss against Neil Magny in November 2022. There were many moments in the fight when it seemed like he may have done enough to beat Magny, but “D-Rod” ended up losing the bout via D’Arce choke at the 3:32 minute mark of the third round. However, he was on a 4-fight win streak prior which included victories against Li Jingliang and Mike Perry.
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Ian Garry, on the other hand, beat Song Kenan via TKO at UFC 285 in March 2023. However, there was a moment when Kenan landed a big strike to put Ian under pressure. But the Irish striker kept his composure and managed to get the stoppage win himself. There is a lot of hope pinned on him to become the next breakout Irish superstar. Can Ian Garry continue his winning momentum? Let’s find out.
UFC Fight Night: Daniel Rodriguez vs Ian Garry, Stats
| Stats | Daniel Rodriguez | Ian Garry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 17 | 11 |
| Losses | 3 | 0 |
| Height | 1.85 m | 1.91 m |
| Division | Welterweight | Welterweight |
| Reach | 188 cm | 189.2 cm |
| Age | 36 | 25 |
Rodriguez vs Garry: Fight Breakdown
Daniel Rodriguez holds an MMA record of 17 wins and 3 losses. Aside from the loss against Neal Magny, Daniel has lost only one other fight in the UFC, which came in 2020 against Nicolas Dalby. While Rodriguez is primarily a striker, he does have some decent grappling abilities as well. Rodriguez has 8 KOs and 4 submission wins. As for Ian Garry, he is undefeated with 11-0.
Garry has 6 KOs and 1 submission win on his resume. So it is quite evident what Rodriguez will look to do in this fight. While both fighters have sharp striking, only Ian Garry can claim to have the speed advantage. Those, who have witnessed “D-Rod” in action recently, will know that he is not the fastest with his striking inside the Octagon. However, Daniel does have the grappling advantage.
According to UFC stats, Garry has an average of landing 6.79 strikes per minute. But Garry is quite hittable with an absorption rate of 4.19 strikes. However, where he lacks severely, is his takedown defense. In his 4 Octagon outings, Ian has already conceded 4 takedowns. It is not surprising, as he only has a takedown defense of 63%. But it is not all doom and gloom, as Garry will be the favorite to win this weekend.
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“D-Rod” outlands “The Future” with an average of 7.42 strikes per minute. But at the same time, he does absorb 5.22 strikes as well. If he does not tighten up his striking defense, fans will see Garry continue his unbeaten streak and perhaps do so with a stoppage win.
