UFC on ABC 4 results: Ian Machado Garry's head kick leads to first-round finish of Daniel Rodriguez

UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry made a huge statement while keeping his record unblemished.

On the main card of UFC on ABC 4 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Garry (12-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) stepped into the octagon to face Daniel Rodriguez in a bout that was sure to produce some new film for the highlight reels. The only question was which fighter would be on the celebratory end. In less than three minutes, Garry provided the answer by stopping Rodriguez (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at 2:57 of the first round.

Entering the toughest test of his professional career thus far, Garry appeared confident as ever in the early moments of the fight. Respecting the power of Rodriguez, Garry wasn’t interested in trading with his hard-hitting opponent. Instead, “The Future” picked his shots well and evaded before he could be touched with anything too damaging. When Garry found the strike he wanted, the the fight was over.

A powerful, well-timed, right head kick was the blow to wobble Rodriguez.

Garry then rushed forward as Rodriguez stumbled backward and fell to the canvas. While raining down punches from the top, referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in closer. Rodriguez could only cover up as the barrage of punches continued and the fight was stopped a few seconds later.

Check out the finish below (via Twitter):

IAN MACHADO GARRY WITH A STATEMENT #UFCCharlotte pic.twitter.com/4QlIDVAZHZ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 13, 2023

The win marks the fifth of Garry’s UFC run. The undefeated Irishman is appropriately nicknamed “The Future,” because everything he has done thus far inside the UFC’s octagon has led many to believe he will one day lead the division as he continues his ascent toward the top.

The finish of Rodriguez was Garry’s third stoppage with the promotion. In his debut in November 2021, he finished Jordan Williams in the first round. After a pair of unanimous decisions over Darian Weeks and Gabe Green, Garry stopped Kenan Song in the third round at UFC 285 in March.

After the fight, Garry called out welterweight top 15 mainstay Neil Magny.

“I want you next, I’m going to knock you out,” Garry told Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview. “… UFC, you have a new star in town.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 4 results include:

• Ian Machado Garry def. Daniel Rodriguez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:57
• Carlos Ulberg def. Ihor Potieria via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:09
• Alex Morono def. Tim Means via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:09
• Matt Brown def. Court McGee knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:09
• Karl Williams def. Chase Sherman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Cody Stamann via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mandy Bohm def. Ji Yeon Kim via split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27) Round 3, 1:55
• Bryan Battle def. Gabe Green via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:14
• Tainara Lisboa def. Jessica-Rose Clark via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:20

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.