The slow-rolling of Ultimate Fighting Championship prospect Ian Garry is over.
According to ESPN Deportes on Thursday, unbeaten welterweight up-and-comer Garry (11-0) will be colliding with Daniel Rodriguez (17-3) on May 13. The UFC Fight Night event does not have a number yet due to unreleased broadcasting schedules, and it similarly has no venue or location publicly available. Rodriguez posted about the fight on his Instagram Stories to confirm it after the ESPN Deportes announcement.
“D-Rod” was set to compete at UFC 286 in March against Gunnar Nelson, but he was forced out for undisclosed reasons and replaced by Bryan Barberena. Rodriguez is looking to get back on track after suffering his first stoppage loss, when Neil Magny landed a brabo choke on him late into their November 2022 matchup. That loss put an end to a four-fight win streak that included victories over the likes of Jingliang Li, Kevin Lee and Mike Perry to earn a place in the 170-pound rankings.
Garry has not tasted defeat as a professional, with all four of his UFC outings going in his favor. Debuting in late 2021, Garry knocked out Jordan Williams to start his run in the Octagon. Since then, he has rattled off decision wins over Darian Weeks and Gabriel Green, while punching out Kenan Song at UFC 285 in March to earn his 11th consecutive pro victory.
The UFC Fight Night card on May 13 will be headlined by a light heavyweight clash pitting Anthony Smith against Johnny Walker, although its location is not on the books as of yet. Other featured pairings on the billing include a heavyweight rumble between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida, a welterweight elder statesmen collision when Matt Brown battles Court McGee and a women’s strawweight tilt as Mackenzie Dern takes on Angela Hill.
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