Ian Machado Garry Drops Two-Word Reaction to Yaroslav Amosov Co-Main Event Booking in UFC Saudi Arabia

Ian Garry is officially returning to the octagon to face Yaroslav Amosov in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 5 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. It will be the five-round co-main event, right underneath the big headline fight between Israel Adesanya and Shara Magomedov. 

While Garry’s opponent is a dangerous former Bellator champion who has lost only once in his career, the Irish fighter is not terrified at all.

Ian Garry Welcomes Yaroslav Amosov With Blunt Message

Amosov presents a major threat in the welterweight division. The Ukrainian dark horse boasts an incredible 30-1 record and has won two straight fights since losing his Bellator title to Jason Jackson. 

In his most recent outing at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, Amosov completely dominated Joel Alvarez, securing a brilliant submission victory via an arm-triangle choke early in the second round. 

He is renowned for his elite grappling style. A big win in Riyadh could instantly catapult the future title contender into a UFC championship shot.

Despite Amosov's terrifying resume, Garry showed zero fear. Shortly after the December matchup was finalized, the Irish star took to Instagram to fire a bold, two-word response to the division: "Anyone. Anytime."

This fearless attitude is nothing new for the Irish star, who is 17-2 overall and 10-2 in the UFC. He is coming off a grueling, competitive title fight against welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in August. 

Though Garry lost the unanimous decision, he inflicted severe damage that left Makhachev with a badly bruised face and forced the champion to undergo three separate post-fight MRIs for spinal issues. While Makhachev plans to sit out the rest of the year to target a return after Ramadan next year, Garry is wasting no time getting back into the cage.

Ian Garry in Crucial Fight Dec. 5

Garry cannot afford another loss in the same year against a nearly identical type of opponent. Like Makhachev, Amosov is an elite Combat Sambo world champion who also holds only one career loss. 

To ensure this December fight does not end in another heartbreaking setback, Garry will need to show he has fixed his weaknesses against high-pressure wrestling.

He has built his entire career on taking dangerous fights on short notice, previously accepting Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on 21 days’ notice and Carlos Prates on 25 days’ notice.

To handle a relentless submission specialist like Amosov, Garry must use his elite striking to keep the fight at range and avoid long stretches against the fence if he wants to extend his run in the 170-pound title picture.