Ian Machado Garry Has a Bold Message for Islam Makhachev Ahead of Their Showdown

Ahead of their fated clash at UFC 330, Garry shared a series of videos on social media capturing his excitement while visualising a victory over former lightweight and current welterweight champion Makhachev.

Ian Garry Sends a Bold Warning to Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev is riding a 16-fight winning streak and has finished 18 of his 22 career victories. However, those records mean little to Garry. In a recent Instagram video, the Irishman showed off an empty frame hanging on his wall, seemingly reserved for the 170-pound belt.

“It’s an empty frame that says ‘UFC World Champion Coming Soon,” said Garry. 

He further added, “As much as I respect Islam, as much as I know how good he is, and I know how talented he is, I know that I can beat him if I go out there and do what I believe I can do.”

Islam Makhachev is certainly a fearsome opponent, but Ian Garry is not someone who will go down without a fight. ‘The Future’ enters his UFC title shot riding back-to-back victories over former champion Belal Muhammad and top contender Carlos Prates, carrying plenty of confidence into the clash.

Ian Garry already has an empty frame waiting at home for the UFC title after his fight with Islam Makhachev 👀

“It’s an empty frame that says ‘UFC World Champion Coming Soon’.”

(via @iangarryMMA) https://t.co/3awQDZ8hem pic.twitter.com/yGi2G4t5H0

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 7, 2026

Since making his UFC debut in 2021, the Irishman has gone 10-1, with his lone defeat coming against Shavkat Rakhmonov.  While Ian Garry is brimming with confidence, his recent interview only reinforced that belief. However, Islam Makhachev believes Garry doesn’t look as good as he thinks. 

“I saw a couple of his interviews, honestly he looks very bad in these interviews,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie. “Better for him training more and do less interviews. It looks like somebody in the house controls him and tells him what to say in the interview. He looked very bad in the interviews, honestly.”

The welterweight champion took a shot at Ian Garry, expressing that the way he portrays himself only makes him look bad. 

“In the fight week, he always tries to be the bad guy, but he acts like he’s a bad guy,” Makhachev said.

Well, Garry is okay with being the bad guy if it means getting the title around his waist. And while the Dagestani remains confident about extending his win streak, his former opponent has raised some red flags.

Islam Makhachev’s Former Rival Sees Ian Garry Pulling Off the Upset

It’s no rocket science to know that Ian Garry excels in striking, while Makhachev boasts a strong ground game. The Irishman will have to keep his distance, using his height and reach to ensure the Dagestani never gets a chance to get hold of him.

Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who has trained with Ian Garry during his visits to the Chute Boxe Academy, claims the Irishman knew he would eventually fight Makhachev and has been specifically training for the Dagestani. 

“Ian truly has a very good chance of beating Makhachev,” Oliveira said. “I’m not saying that because he’s my friend or because he’s part of our team, but because of what we’ve seen and how he’s been training.”

He further added, “We know there’s an incredibly tough guy on the other side, someone who deserves all the respect in the world. He’s humble when promoting a fight, but he’s extremely difficult to deal with inside the cage. He’s outstanding, a really tough fighter. But honestly, in my opinion, Ian has a great chance of winning.”

Oliveira has already fought and lost to Makhachev, so when he says something like this, one should take note. Statistically speaking, Ian Garry is much taller and bigger than Makhachev, and he could overwhelm him. But will he be able to? Only time will tell.