Ian Garry Calls Out Team Islam Makhachev for Claiming to Be in Works For Blockbuster Fight

Top 170lbs contender Ian Garry fires back at Ali Abdelaziz over Islam Makhachev title fight stall and claims of another superfight in motion.

Ian Garry Calls Out Team Islam Makhachev for Claiming to Be in Works For Blockbuster Fight

Islam Makhachev's team and Ian Garry get into a dispute (via X)

In Short
  • Islam Makhachev is expected to return to the Octagon soon after Ramadan, but no official fight announcement has been made.
  • Ian Garry has expressed a strong desire to face Makhachev, despite the manager stating Garry's name is not in the conversation.
  • Makhachev aims to break Kamaru Usman's defense record in the welterweight division while also being called out by undefeated contender Michael Morales.

Islam Makhachev’s return to the Octagon has undoubtedly become one of the most highly anticipated events in the UFC today. The reigning pound-for-pound king captured his second UFC championship belt last year at UFC 322, further solidifying his dominance across divisions.

After observing Ramadan, Makhachev is expected to make his comeback soon, although no official announcement has been made yet. Meanwhile, top welterweight contender Ian Garry has publicly shown significant interest in facing the dominant Russian superstar next.

Recently, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, took to X and shared the latest news about what’s next for the welterweight king. 

According to Abdelaziz, the company is planning something big with Makhachev and will make the announcement soon. The manager also mentioned that Garry’s name is not in the conversation. However, the Irishman replied with a different opinion. 

No they’re not.

Ian Garry via X

Ian Garry is currently on a two-fight win streak after defeating Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad convincingly at UFC Kansas and UFC Qatar, respectively. Before that run, the Irishman went toe to toe with top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 and proved his undeniable toughness.

Now he has shifted focus toward pound-for-pound king Makhachev while showing public respect for his dominance.

Despite that honor, Garry has openly declared his ambition to dethrone Makhachev and capture championship gold soon. He also mentioned reigniting the Ireland versus Russia rivalry started by Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov years ago. However, Makhachev has strictly denied such rivalry, saying that Garry is nowhere near ‘The Notorious.’

On top of that, Makhachev has been called out by another top welterweight contender, Michael Morales. The Ecuadorian fighter is undefeated and is known for his fighting as well as antics outside the Octagon. Unlike Garry, Morales doesn’t want to respect Makhachev and is simply motivated to dethrone the Dagestani as soon as possible. 

However, it is important to mention that since winning the welterweight belt, Makhachev has consistently called out Kamaru Usman. Makhachev wants to beat Usman’s defense record in the welterweight division and believes starting that streak by beating the veteran makes sense. While many believe Makhachev could fight at the upcoming White House event, there are other reports suggesting it can happen sooner. 

Michael Page predicts Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry 

Ian Garry is well known for his trash-talking abilities and has been part of some nasty rivalries in UFC. His back-and-forth and close physical altercation with UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev was quite famous. As a fighter, Garry understands the business part of the sport and promotes his fights as much as possible. 

Ian Garry vs. Islam Makhachev next
Ian Garry vs. Islam Makhachev next (via X)

Recently, Garry was seen moving to Georgia to train with their wrestlers in order to sharpen his skills. Previously, Garry had mentioned working with Ilia Topuria‘s team in order to defend himself better against Makhachev’s takedowns. Recently, MMA veteran Michael Page talked about Garry facing Makhachev and shared his honest opinion. 

Striking-wise, I don’t believe Islam’s going to be able to deal with Ian, but it’s the grappling element. Ian is a great striker but not necessarily a great finisher; he goes the distance. Going the distance means you’re in there long enough for this person to take you down once, and it only has to be once. Islam is just something special. 

Michael Page via Sky Sports 

Page gave the example of former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena going against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. The veteran mentioned how, despite being the best scrambler in the UFC, the Aussie fighter failed against Makhachev.

Javier Mendez, coach of Makhachev, also gave a similar theory regarding the potential matchup analysis. Mendez said Ian Garry would suffer the same fate as JDM against Makhachev inside the Octagon if they ever fight each other.

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