Ian Machado Garry has named Islam Makhachev as the toughest test he can face at welterweight, despite him never fighting at 170lb.
The Irish contender is ranked at number seven in the division, but only narrowly lost on the scorecards to number on Shavkat Rakhmonov in December at UFC 310. He is now set to face the fast-rising Carlos Prates in Kansas City next week, and believes a win will be enough to earn a title shot.
Garry is a divisive figure with fans but undeniably one of the top talents in the welterweight division. And asked for who he feels is his toughest test at the weight, he gave a controversial and unexpected choice.
Ian Machado Garry believes Islam Makhachev is toughest test at welterweight
There are a number of serious contenders at 170lb, from Sean Brady to the unbeaten-in-the-UFC Jack Della Maddalena. That’s not to mention the champion Belal Muhammad, who has looked unbeatable in recent years.
But when asked for who he feels poses the biggest threat in the division, Ian Machado Garry believed that he has yet to even debut. He named the long-time lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who has already broken the record for most defences ever at 155lb.
“He’s not in the welterweight division yet but he will be soon and if he comes up it’ll be Islam,” Garry told SevereMMA. “When he comes up he will be the biggest problem.”
Ian Machado Garry believes he deserved next UFC title shot
When it was confirmed that an injury, likely caused by Garry, had forced Shavkat Rakhmonov out of the UFC 315 main event with Belal Muhammad, fans were surprised to see the Irishman overlooked. Instead, they went for Maddalena, who hasn’t lost since his first two professional fights nine years ago.
He is annoyed with the decision, noting that his sole career defeat was by a matter of points to the division’s top contender. “When they told me this news, I was livid. Still am to this day,” Machado Garry said on Instagram.
“I’m not fighting for a world title because I’m coming off a loss and they’re giving it to a guy who’s been injured for a year. And they think that’s more exciting, but they’re wrong.
“Now they’re pulling in a guy who hasn’t fought in a year because he’s had an operation on his forearm because he broke it in his last fight, hasn’t fought in a long time, hasn’t been active.”
