Ian Garry Non-Committal to ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland’ Branding for Possible Islam Makhachev Future Fight

Ian Garry is not keen on the potential "Dagestan vs. Ireland" matchup against Islam Makhachev, if a future PPV title fight ever happened.

Ian Garry Non-Committal to ‘Dagestan vs. Ireland’ Branding for Possible Islam Makhachev Future Fight

Ian Machado Garry not keen on potential ‘Dagestan vs Ireland’ run vs. Islam Makhachev (Source: X)

The most notable of rivalries in UFC competition was between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, a matchup dubbed “Dagestan vs. Ireland.” Ever since, a lot of succeeding matchups saw similar tints; Nurmagomedov’s prize pupil, Islam Makhachev, included. Now, McGregor’s compatriot Ian Garry has found himself on those lines as well.

The UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor PPV event remains a historic success and buyout, payouts, bonuses, and PPV sales. But the Dagestan vs. Ireland connotation and the post-fight brawl were the biggest takeaways, meaning that it was far from over.

Irishman Paul Hughes saw a similar course run through his Champions Series: Road to Dubai (Series 6) main event lead-up. The Dagestan vs. Ireland topic is never off limits for fight fans, purists, and enthusiasts. However, Ian Garry has other plans if he were to meet Islam Makhachev anytime soon:

If people want to market it as Dagestan versus Ireland, if me and Islam Makhachev ever cross paths, then they can. But I feel like that’s bringing in two people like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov who have had their rivalry and have done and said things they’ve said…

The 27-year-old narrowly missed a UFC 170-pound top contender spot but then reeled back in a Fight Night headliner victory. He was also a PPV title backup fighter for new champ Jack Della Maddalena and has designs to get that gold. That puts him at a direct crossroads with Makhachev.

The Dagestani fighter will face Della Maddalena in a PPV title scrapper, sometime later this year, in his welterweight entry. In any case, a potential fight against Ian Garry could very well be on the horizon for him, and a Dagestan vs. Ireland showdown. The Irishman, though, sees holes in his rival’s game to match up to a towering style striker like JDM.

Ahead of the title fight, Ian Machado Garry highlights Islam Makhachev’s past performances as hiccup

The 170-pound weight class is overtly convoluted and brimming with top stars. Many of whom are making headway to becoming proper top contenders; including but not limited to Ian Machado Garry. Hence, it’s under his purview to pitch in on future matchups.

Ian Garry highlights Islam Makhachev’s size as barrier at 170 pounds
Ian Garry highlights Islam Makhachev’s size as barrier at 170 pounds (Source: X)

The biggest of which in the division would be soon-to-be former UFC 155-pound kingpin Islam Makhachev moving up. Makhachev is all but confirmed to be Della Maddalena’s first PPV title defense, possibly in Perth. His longtime teammate, Daniel Cormier, has already advised him to work on his takedowns, throwdowns, and trips. There are potent dangers to try and outstrike JDM as well.

The Aussie champ is expected to have a significant advantage in this matchup. His dominant standup array and size advantage are key factors. Ian Garry thinks those could prove tough for Makhachev; he told as much in an exclusive media interview to Covers.com.

Size matters… and when you’re giving up an extra 15 pounds to move up a division – yes, Islam Makhachev is big and yes, Islam is strong, and we know that he walks around more than 155lbs. We know he probably walks around at 180-190lbs, …[but] Jack is just a bigger human, and I watch [his] fights against Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier, and I see those fights, yes, Islam looked great, and Islam did what he needed to do. But Jack is a bigger man. He hits harder.

Both UFC 315 PPV title challenger Della Maddalena and rival Ilia Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa, highlighted Makhachev’s close turn at UFC 284 as a prime deterrent. It even drove up as Team Topuria’s claims to be better since he KOed Alexander Volkanovski in one go.

Given his performance against Volk and a late-round finish of Dustin Poirier, Garry has reserved his doubts about a welterweight success. Per the Irish fighter, everything ‘stings’ more at higher hydration. He presented that Makhachev might find out that soon enough, the hard way.

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