Ian Garry Takes Shot at Islam
Ian Machado Garry sparked headlines by taking a public shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev after teasing a potential title fight. Makhachev's manager quickly fired back, escalating the war of words and fueling speculation about a future showdown between the rising welterweight and the dominant champion.
The callout from Ian Garry came directly after his unanimous decision victory over Belal Muhammad in November 2025. This win was a significant step up in competition for the Irish welterweight, who used the post-fight interview to directly challenge Makhachev, telling the champion "you're done." A potential fight presents a classic striker versus grappler dynamic, but with a significant weight difference. Garry competes in the welterweight division (170 lbs), while Makhachev holds the championship in the lightweight division (155 lbs) and only recently became a two-division champion by capturing the welterweight title. Islam Makhachev is currently on a 16-fight winning streak and is ranked as the #1 men's pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. His fighting style, heavily influenced by his coach and former undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, is built on dominant sambo and wrestling. Makhachev's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, quickly dismissed Garry's challenge. Abdelaziz stated that Garry's name is not involved in negotiations for Makhachev's next fight and that the UFC is working on a "much bigger" matchup. Garry responded on social media, suggesting Makhachev "needs more time" to prepare for him.
