Ian Machado Garry handed tough test against 30-1 UFC star in December

Ian Machado Garry fell short against Islam Makhachev in his first UFC title opportunity at UFC 330 in August. He is now set to return to the octagon against the 30-1 welterweight, whom many consider a dark horse of the division and see as a potential future champion.

Who is Ian Machado Garry facing, and when?

During the UFC broadcast of UFC Vegas 124 last night, Garry’s fight was announced. He is set to take on Yaroslav Amosov in the co-main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on December 5 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

Garry squared off against Makhachev for the welterweight title and gave the champion one of the hardest fights of his career. He fell short and lost via unanimous decision.

Now that he is set to face Amosov, a victory could move the Irish star one step closer to another title opportunity. However, it won’t be an easy task, as the Ukrainian is a former Bellator welterweight champion who built a reputation as one of the most accomplished fighters outside the UFC.

Amosov made his UFC debut back in December against Neil Magny. He displayed his elite grappling skills and submitted Magny with an anaconda choke in the first round, making a statement about why he is considered the best welterweight outside the promotion.

In his second UFC outing, Amosov earned another submission, finishing Joel Alvarez with an arm triangle in the second round at UFC 328.

The matchup is quite exciting. Garry showed incredible takedown defense and submission defense against Makhachev, but whether he can do that again against an elite grappler like Amosov remains to be seen. Can he keep the fight on the feet and use his striking to edge the former Bellator champion?

For Amosov, this is his toughest test yet, and a dominant victory would probably put him in the title mix.

This is not the only exciting matchup announced. The headliner marks the return of Israel Adesanya, who takes on rising contender Shara Magomedov in a middleweight bout.