Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ilia Topuria (red gloves) prior to the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Ian Garry And Ilia Topuria To Train Together? ‘The Future’ Reveals Plans To Work Together To End Islam Makhachev’s Reign

Training camps can make or break a fighter’s preparation for big fights. Finding the right sparring partners who mimic your opponent’s style is crucial. Elite fighters often travel across continents seeking specific training environments. Dagestan produces wrestling specialists while Thailand offers elite Muay Thai coaching. Smart contenders identify their weaknesses and seek help from the best. And Ian Garry knows exactly what he needs to beat Islam Makhachev.

The Irish welterweight just defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar impressively. He stuffed every takedown attempt and controlled the striking exchanges beautifully. But Makhachev represents an entirely different challenge with his relentless grappling. Now, Garry revealed a strategic plan to dethrone the Dagestani champion.

Ian Garry And His Georgian Connection

Garry revealed his surprising strategy during post-fight interviews at UFC Qatar. He wants to train in Madrid with Topuria and tap into Georgian wrestling.

“I have already spoke to Ilia, have already spoke to the guys. When we speak about Georgia, Ilia can help me out a lot. With my friends in Russia, my friends in Georgia over here, we’re going to stop the Russians from having their success. We’re going to stop the Dagestanis from having that success and we’re going to shut them down and we’re going to take his head clean off his shoulders.”

Ian Garry says he's gonna train with Ilia Topuria to prepare for Islam Makhachev 👀

"With my friends in Georgia, we're gonna stop the Russians from having their success. We're gonna stop the Dagestanis… and we're gonna take [Islam's] head clean off his shoulders." 😳 #UFCQatar pic.twitter.com/XXTOJYglWd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 22, 2025

That’s some bold trash talk mixing sports with regional tensions. Garry believes Georgian wrestling tradition can unlock the secrets to beating Dagestanis. He referenced Merab Dvalishvili’s victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. That win showcased how Georgian grappling can neutralize Dagestani wrestlers effectively.

The Technical Breakdown

Garry recently broke down Makhachev’s game with surprising detail during fight week. The Irish fighter acknowledged reality first by praising the champion, calling him “phenomenal.” But then came the critical analysis of perceived weaknesses. He believes his physical attributes create problems Makhachev hasn’t encountered before.

Garry’s biggest weapon? Speed that he claims is unmatched entirely. He feels that Makhachev has not fought anyone of his caliber. He feels that his height, length, takedown defense and speed are somethings that the champion hasn’t seen before.

Whether this Georgian training plan is genius or chaos remains to be seen. But Garry has succeeded in making himself impossible to ignore. Aligning with Topuria, who has his own tensions with Team Khabib, creates a compelling storyline. The welterweight division is reshaping with Shavkat Rakhmonov injured and others rising. Garry’s two-fight win streak puts him squarely in title contention now.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Ian Garry

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

UFC Qatar

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!