Islam Makhachev has responded to Ian Machado Garry’s callout after the Irishman’s win over Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar, expressing interest in a potential showdown. Makhachev, the current welterweight champion, acknowledged Garry’s performance but admitted he was not surprised by it.
“Yeah, that will be interesting. He’s also a good fighter. He’s on a good winning streak and he’s young. I think it’ll be interesting. We’ll see,” Makhachev told media. “He didn’t surprise me yesterday. If he surprised the UFC, then maybe he will be next.”
Garry outpointed Muhammad on Saturday, securing his second consecutive victory after a narrow loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December. The 28-year-old has since beaten Carlos Prates and Muhammad, moving up the welterweight rankings. However, Rakhmonov remains a strong contender despite inactivity.
Makhachev also addressed Rakhmonov’s situation, noting the Kazakh has not fought for over a year due to injuries. “A contender can’t sit out for a year with injuries and then come fight for the belt,” Makhachev said. “If he recovers, and the UFC decides he’s next, why not?”
Makhachev won the welterweight title at UFC 322 by defeating Jack Della Maddalena, six months after vacating the lightweight belt with a record four defenses. The Russian has surpassed his coach Khabib Nurmagomedov’s achievements with two UFC titles.
