Ian Machado Garry believes UFC’s pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev would be disastrous for his division.
But it doesn’t mean ‘The Future’ wouldn’t relish a chance to fight the UFC lightweight champion.
Garry suffered his first career MMA defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov in DecemberGetty But the Irishman’s stock still rose as it was a close unanimous decision callGettyMachado Garry is just days away from his next fight against Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City on Saturday night.
The 27-year-old Irishman is fresh off his first career defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov last December, where ‘The Future’ proved he can mix it up with the very best.
Machado Garry is the No. 7 ranked welterweight having gone eight bouts undefeated since making his UFC debut in November 2021, after being crowned a champion at Cage Warriors.
Speaking to Shak MMA, he revealed his eagerness to test himself against someone like Makhachev, who has been rumoured to move up 15 pounds and contest for gold in Garry’s division.
“He can jump the queue if he wants to,” Garry explained. “He’s Islam Makachev – the pound-for-pound number one.
“You’ve got to give respect where respect is due. If that man turns up and says, ‘I want to be next,’ then I think everyone in the welterweight division goes, ‘okay.’
“If you try to argue that, then you don’t have respect for the greatest in the world.
“He’s an absolute disaster for everyone in the division. If he comes up and doesn’t have to cut weight. He’ll still be big. He’ll still be strong.
“He’s the perfect example of the new evolution of fighters. Great everywhere…he makes the welterweight division even more fun.
“I have nothing, nothing but respect for the man. But I’m someone who wants to test myself against the best in the world, and I would love to test myself against him.”
Machado Garry ‘would love’ a fight with Islam Makhachev down the lineGetty Makhachev is officially the best pound-for-pound UFC fighter right nowGettyMakhachev has held the 155lb strap for almost three years, but has never ruled out a move to welterweight to attempt to gain two-division championship status.
Garry’s loss to Rakhmonov at UFC 310 was a number one contender bout to fight UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad next.
Garry was ‘livid’ once he heard Jack Della Maddalena had been awarded a title shot against Muhammad on May 10 following news that Rakhmonov had picked up an injury.
Nonetheless, he has now accepted a bout in the meantime with Prates, who is ranked six places below him at 170lbs.
Several MMA fans had urged the Irishman to sit back and wait, as he may have been awarded the winner of Muhammad vs Della Maddelana at UFC 315 if Rakhmonov was still injured.
However, Garry is not a fighter to wait on the sidelines, and believes a fight with Prates can prove he is still the hottest prospect in the division.
Garry’s opponent, Prates, is undefeated in the UFC having finished all of his opponents via knockoutGetty“100 per cent I could have got a top five opponent,” Garry added, speaking on his thoughts after losing to Rakhmonov.
“I could have been fighting anyone I wanted…but when someone calls me and says, ‘Hey, do you want to fight?’ There’s only one answer that comes out of my mouth and the word is yes.
“And when it’s against someone like Prates in the UFC, and you see the way Dana [White] speaks about him, and you see the way the world is kind of viewing him to be this next kind of assassin.
“I think this is a perfect example to go out there and prove that I’m still the best prospect in this division.
“That I am young, talented, handsome. I’m as good as it gets when it comes to the welterweight division. I finished the fight with Shavkat after 25 minutes.
“I don’t think there’s very many people in the world who can say that Shavkat’s the more dangerous fighter after that fight.
“He might have won, but I don’t believe he’s more dangerous. Now I’m fighting a guy who’s on an 11 fight win streak, 10 fight knockout streak. Let’s see how that goes on Saturday night.
“When he steps into the Octagon with me, let’s see how he looks. When I push him like he’s never been pushed before and I take him to worlds where he’s never experienced, what’s going to happen?
“Are we going to see the quitter come out or are we going to see him fight back? Either way, my hand gets raised.”
UFC Fight Night: Machado Garry vs Prates takes pace at the T-Mobile Center this weekend.
Anthony Smith takes on China’s Zhang Mingyang in the co-main event at light heavyweight, while the exciting Michel Pereira faces Abus Magomedov at middleweight on the top of the bill also.
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