Ilia Topuria Thinks Ian Garry Can Hand Second-Ever Career Loss to Islam Makhachev

Ilia Topuria has undoubtedly dominated every challenge placed in front of him. His rise has been marked by consistent elite-level performances across divisions. One remaining challenge is a long-discussed superfight with Islam Makhachev. However, the matchup appears unlikely due to both fighters’ divisional responsibilities. Topuria has now also commented on Makhachev’s potential fight with Ian Garry.

The Topuria vs Makhachev matchup was targeted after UFC 317 when Topuria won the lightweight championship. Interest in a superfight quickly grew as both continued dominant runs in their respective divisions. However, by the time ‘El Matador’ moved up, Makhachev had already shifted to welterweight. This effectively pushed the fight out of immediate contention and left both focused on divisional duties.

Garry has emerged as the leading option for a first title defense after his win over Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar. His recent performances have pushed him into serious title contention in the division. He has also been linked to a rumored UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia in August 2026 against Makhachev. Topuria has noted Garry’s chance to become only the second fighter to hand Makhachev a loss.

It’s the fight business. Everyone has chances – everyone, and especially someone like Ian, he’s been collecting a lot of experience during his run in the UFC, and why not? I see him with a lot of chances. And Islam, we already saw him getting knocked out in a fight, and why not for a second time?

Ilia Topuria via ESPN MMA

Ilia Topuria on whether Ian Machado Garry has a chance against Islam Makhachev 👀

"I see him with a lot of chances… we already saw Islam getting knocked out in a fight, and why not for the second time."

via: @espnmma pic.twitter.com/1E5XQYJ6q9

— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) May 6, 2026

Islam Makhachev’s first career loss came against Adriano Martins at UFC 192, where he was knocked out in the first round. It remains his only professional defeat and came early in his UFC run before he reached title contention. Since then, the Dagestani champion has responded with a 16-fight win streak across multiple opponents and divisions and climbing to two divisional championship status.

Garry has previously acknowledged Ilia Topuria during preparations for a potential title fight. He coordinated with the Georgian-Spanish champion’s team to travel to Georgia to improve his wrestling ahead of a possible fight with Makhachev. The Irish welterweight later visited and trained with members of Topuria’s camp. His work included exposure to Greco-Roman wrestling methods used in the region.

However, Islam Makhachev has said he does not view Ian Garry as the stronger contender after Carlos Prates significantly boosted his case at UFC Perth. This has added more debate over who deserves the next welterweight title shot. As the division works out its next challenger, Ilia Topuria remains fully focused on his upcoming title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14th.

Ilia Topuria continues of his ritual of celebrating prematurely before UFC Freedom 250

Ilia Topuria stands out as one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the UFC today. However, beyond his striking power, a major factor behind his success is the hard work he puts into every training camp. He also enters each fight with strong confidence, which shapes his in-cage approach. This same mindset is now on display as he prepares to unify the titles against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

One ritual Topuria follows before each fight is celebrating in advance, reflecting his strong confidence in his ability. He treats it as part of his mindset rather than a distraction from preparation. This approach was visible ahead of his UFC 317 bout, where he went on to knock out Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title. The same pattern has now been referenced again as he prepares for his fight against Gaethje.

Ilia Topuria says he already has his pre-fight celebration planned 🎉

"A lot of people will be coming to the event, and we’re going to celebrate it.

When you go through hard training sessions and do so many things — we’ve been working so hard for so many months — when you do… pic.twitter.com/3QCIx5PRi6

— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) May 6, 2026

This ritual is only one part of Ilia Topuria’s wider pre-fight preparation habits. He has previously described extreme weight-cut routines, including drinking large amounts of wine during cutting phases to manage dehydration and the mental side of the process. After making weight, ‘El Matador’ would rehydrate and recover ahead of fight night, reinforcing his unique approach to fight preparation.

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