Yaroslav Amosov comments on Ian Machado Garry's past derision ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia bout
Yaroslav Amosov is set to take on the biggest fight of his career at UFC Saudi Arabia, where he'll face ex-welterweight title challenger Ian Machado Garry, who was once dismissive of his future opponent as a high-level fighter. Now, Amosov has the chance to fire back.
Two fights into his UFC run, Yaroslav Amosov has impressed the promotion's top brass so much that he has earned a matchup with Ian Machado Garry, a high-profile fighter and one of the UFC welterweight division's true elites. Last year in 2025, Garry had nothing positive to say about Amosov's skills in relation to the top UFC welterweights, himself included. Now, 'Dynamo' has finally shared his thoughts on Garry's dismissive comments.
Yaroslav Amosov brushes off Ian Machado Garry's trash talk
On Nov. 22, 2025, Ian Machado Garry scored the biggest win of his career by beating former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in a tough unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 265. At the post-fight presser, 'The Future' was asked about ex-Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov, who at the time had just signed with the UFC. Not only did Garry claim not to know of Amosov, but he dismissed his skills as a fighter, asserting that everyone in the UFC welterweight top 10 would beat him, while also highlighting how much Bellator fighters struggle in the UFC. Now, a year later, Amosov is set to face Garry at UFC Saudi Arabia on Dec. 5.
Ahead of the matchup, Amosov made an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he was asked about Garry's past comments. Stoic as ever, Amosov merely said that Garry would now have to back up his claim that any top welterweight would beat him (5:15):
"So, it's... he talked about me, he don't know me, he don't know... he think all people can smash me, beat me, but now he have fight with me and now we will see how he tries to smash me or beat me."
When asked if he felt whether he was being underestimated or if Garry is taking him seriously, Amosov made it clear that, while he understands that fighters are incentivized to trash talk each other, he's focused on himself.
"Maybe. I don't care about what he thinks, what he talks. This is... I think about myself. I think about my game. Doesn't matter. Yeah, of course, he's a fighter and we must talk, we must do trash talk, maybe that's why people try sometimes talk about different guy. But I'm focused about myself."
The two men will meet in the co-headliner of the UFC Saudi Arabia card and Garry will be determined to win, having just lost to Islam Makhachev in a welterweight title fight at UFC 330. Despite falling short of winning the belt, losing via unanimous decision, Garry still gave Makhachev one of his toughest-ever fights. Amosov, by contrast, is on a three-fight win streak, with two of those wins taking place in the UFC. He submitted Neil Magny in round one at UFC Vegas 112, then did the same to Joel Álvarez in round two at UFC 328. He is 30-1 overall, with his lone loss being a third-round knockout to Jason Jackson at Bellator 301.
The fight was notable for Amosov managing to complete just two takedowns. He just couldn't get his wrestling going, with Jackson's counter-grappling making things difficult. On the feet, Jackson outstruck him, before dropping him badly in round three, then battering him with ground-and-pound for the TKO. Garry's losses haven't been nearly as definitive. The Irishman is 17-2, with unanimous decision losses to Islam Makhachev and Shavkat Rakhmonov, the latter of whom he faced at UFC 310.
UFC Saudi Arabia could prove to be a tough night at the office for Amosov, as Garry has been very difficult to outwrestle and control, even for the likes of Makhachev, Muhammad, and Rakhmonov, and he's too tricky on the feet for Amosov to try and strike with. So, Garry's confidence is understandable, but no two fights are the same and perhaps Amosov has improved. He'll have his chance to prove it on Dec. 5.
