Michael Morales Ready To Replace Either Islam Makhachev Or Ian Machado Garry At UFC 330

When Islam Makhachev became the welterweight champion, the division got so deep that fans couldn’t stop debating who he’d fight next. Ian Machado Garry eventually silenced all that noise and secured his title shot against the 34-year-old at UFC 330.

Top contenders like Carlos Prates and Michael Morales were left behind, as they were also in the mix for the title shot. Meanwhile, Morales, who was actively taking shots at the Irish fighter over the title shot, now gets the opportunity of being the backup fighter for the Garry vs. Makhachev fight.

Michael Morales Is The Official Backup Fighter For UFC 330

Many believed that Morales is a bigger threat to the welterweight champion than Ian Garry. Now, the Ecuadorian fighter might face the 34 year old if Garry gets injured. The 27 year old has confirmed he will serve as the official backup fighter at UFC 330.

Morales revealed that he has agreed to weigh in and remain on standby in case either Makhachev or Garry is unable to compete or misses weight. If that happens, he will immediately step in and fight for the welterweight title.

“Right now they’ve brought me in as the backup in case one of the two misses weight or isn’t able to fight. If that happens, I’ll step in. Either this title fight happens, or I wait one more fight and then I fight for the title. There’s nothing else left.” Morales told to dannyseguratv.

MMA’s top stars have mentioned that the 27 year old could have been a real threat, but everyone should not underestimate Garry. Even coach Khabib Nurmagomedov suggested that the Irish fighter is a very risky matchup for the welterweight champion, as he possesses a significant reach advantage.

Islam Makhachev Thinks He Needs Extra Cardio Just To Fight Ian Machado Garry

Khabib Nurmagomedov mentioned that Garry moves around a lot in the Octagon, and for that they are changing the game plan. Talking about that, Makhachev said that preparing for the 28-year-old has required a lot of running throughout training camp. During his recent interview with MMA Fighting, he said:

"I've had to do a lot of running in this training camp because I have to keep up with him. I'll try to catch him, take him down, just what I did to all my opponents."

2026 has been full of big surprises. Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria both lost their belts after looking unbeatable. Now some fans think Islam Makhachev could be next, but many still believe he is on a different level and will beat Ian Machado Garry.