Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Ian Machado Garry (red gloves) prepares to fight Carlos Prates (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

mma

Ian Garry Targets Islam Makhachev, Says The Champ Is Plotting An Easy Title Defense Next

Fighters love calling out champions on social media. Building hype for potential matchups starts months before contracts get signed. Trash talk generates interest from fans and casual viewers alike. Smart contenders know how to position themselves for title shots early. And Ian Garry has mastered the art of self-promotion lately.

The rising Irish prospect talks confidently about his future plans. He’s mapped out his path to championship gold already. This weekend he faces Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar in a crucial bout. But Garry is already looking past Muhammad toward bigger targets. He targeted Islam Makhachev with some interesting accusations about the new welterweight champion’s next opponent selection.

Ian Garry Talks About Islam Makhachev Choice Of Opponent

Islam Makhachev (28-1) dominated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to win the welterweight title. He’s expressed interest in fighting Kamaru Usman next for his first defense. The former champion represents a big name with serious credentials. But Garry believes Makhachev is choosing Usman strategically for easier reasons. Talking to UFC on TNT, this is what he said:

“I understand why he [Makhachev] wants it because of what Kamaru Usman was. If he was calling out this fight when Kamaru was that man, understandable. However, he [Usman] is not the same champion that he used to be. So I think Islam is looking at that as an easy win. An easy first title defense.”

Ian Garry says Islam Makhachev wants to fight Kamaru Usman since he’s an ‘easy opponent’ 😬

“Kamaru Usman is f***ing irrelevant. He’s a has-been.

That’s just Islam trying to get that 17th consecutive win against an easy opponent.”

(via @ufcontnt) pic.twitter.com/vHDOxEmD3z
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 19, 2025

Garry’s point is pretty valid when fans examine it honestly. Usman dominated welterweight for years during his championship reign. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ looked absolutely unstoppable against elite competition consistently. But he’s aged and dealt with injuries since losing his belt. ‘Father Time’ catches every fighter eventually without exception.

Garry is essentially saying Usman is washed and Makhachev knows it. He’s accusing the new champion of cherry-picking a faded legend. The stylistic matchup favors Makhachev heavily according to Garry’s breakdown too.

Garry’s Master Plan

The trash talk serves Garry’s own interests obviously and transparently here. He faces Muhammad this weekend in the co-main event slot. ‘The Future’ is supremely confident about getting past ‘Remember the Name’. He’s already planned out his entire championship run afterward.

After beating Muhammad, Garry expects a title shot against Makhachev next. He genuinely believes he will dethrone the two-division champion decisively. Then comes his planned first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov. That would be a revenge match since Rakhmonov handed Garry his first career loss.

(Image Credit: William Purnell – Imagn Images)

Ian Garry

Islam Makhachev

Kamaru Usman

UFC Qatar

Zaid Quraishi

mma

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!