‘I am going to cement myself as next in line’ – UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry primed for biggest fight of his life in Qatar
In between those epics, there was a great weekend for combat sports as Conor Benn got a win for his family against Chris Eubank Jr and Islam Makachev’s coronation as a double champion of the UFC was sealed in New York at UFC 322.
Khabib Nurmagemedov’s father, before he passed away, said that Khabib would dominate and then Makachev would carry the legacy.
After dominating the 155-pound lightweight division, Makachev would move up to welterweight at 170 pounds, and on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, he defeated Jack Delle Maddelena to win his second World title.
Ian Machado Garry (blue gloves) lands a punch on Nail Magny (red gloves) during his win at UFC 292 at TD Garden, Boston
On the same night, a welterweight contender was established as Carlos Prates knocked former champion Leon Edwards out cold.
However, the man who defeated Prates in April, Portmarnock-born Ian Machado Garry is in Qatar, three days away from facing former champion Belal Muhammed in what many believe is a number one contender fight.
The Irish Independent spoke to ‘The Future’ last week, but after a busy weekend in his division, he got in touch again to give his thoughts on what transpired in Madison Square Garden, and Garry, who turned 28 on Tuesday, is full of confidence.
“The fights at MSG were absolutely incredible, as we spoke about it before, the welterweight division right now is the most exciting division in the entire sport,” he said.
“You’ve got stars scattered all across the top 10, and it’s very, very exciting, and I am leading the charge. I am the most interesting and the most exciting of them all.
“Prates looked phenomenal. He looked amazing, and I was absolutely delighted to see him knock out Edwards and Michael Morales impressed me by knocking out Sean Brady, and he did it against someone who I respect, and I believe is of the highest level of the sport.
“Islam Makachev looked like a world-class fighter for every single second of that fight. He beat Della Maddelena on the feet, where he’s best, and he just showed everyone that he is the single best wrestler in the entire sport.
“People said it was boring, but I thought it was world-class.
“He is phenomenal, somebody that I want to test my skills against, and I’m excited to compete against him at one point, and when I beat Belal Muhammad this weekend, I am going to be the number one fighter in the world.
“Everything that happened on Saturday night at MSG will be irrelevant when I knock out Belal on November 22 in Doha.
“I’m going to knock out the former champion and the number one contender in the world, and I’m going to absolutely cement myself as next in line for that world title fight, and nobody can stop me.”
After winning the Cage Warriors welterweight world title, Machado Garry moved from Ireland to Florida to train at Kill Cliff MMA, before linking up with future UFC hall of famer and former lightweight champion Charles ‘Do Bronxs’ Oliviera in 2022.
Oliviera is a hero for many, with Machado Garry making the Chute Boxe gym his home, and he paid tribute to the Brazilian legend. He spent an intense two weeks in Sao Paulo during his camp, before undertaking most of this camp near his home in Surrey.
“I’ve travelled the world and I’ve trained with some of the greatest gyms on the planet, and with some of the greatest fighters and coaches that have walked this earth. There has been nowhere that compares.
“The Chute Boxe gym, when it comes to a family energy, a bond, a love, an energy that cannot be explained, and what they bring to me is so much more important than anything else.
“I fight for so much more than myself, knowing that I represent them and that team, and it’s an absolute honour to represent them, to call those teammates, family and friends, and it’s an honour that I’m blessed to represent.
“The first time I went to Brazil to train, I met him and all the boys at a coffee shop around the corner, and when Diego [Lima, head coach] says it’s time to go, everyone gets up, everyone leaves, and heads to the gym.
“So I’m there with my wife and my child, and I pick up my baby, and I turn around to find my bag, and I look out on the road, and Charles Oliviera is carrying my bag, because he knows I have a child, so he just took it upon himself to pick my bag up, put it on his back and bring it to the gym.”
Machado Garry has lost just once in the UFC, when he took undefeated Kazakh Shavkhat Rakhmonov to five rounds after taking the fight on short notice.
Now the path is clear, one more win and he will fight for the belt and reignite the Dagestan-Ireland rivalry – made famous by the 2018 clash between Conor McGregor and Nurmagemedov – when he takes on Makachev.
As well as chasing a legacy, Machado Garry believes that social media is key to making a name for himself, and he credits his wife Layla with helping him grow his brand.
“The UFC has no lack of good fighters, but they have a lack of interesting fighters. And understanding social media and understanding how to build a fight and how to garner attention is something that people aren’t very good at,” he says.
“I’m a very polarising figure. People either love me or hate me, but either way, they tune in.
“I’m very, very blessed that my wife has taught me a lot when it comes to social media, and her job was working with biggest organisations and clubs on the planet.
“She’s worked with Fifa, Red Bull, Adidas. She has voiced the Olympic opening ceremony. She’s worked at Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and hosted the Ballon D’Or and the World Cup.
“Layla has been the biggest influence in my life when it comes to social media presence and my online presence. I now run a production company called ‘the Future Production’. I am doing amazing things outside of the octagon.
“And the biggest takeaway from my relationship, and the biggest bit of advice that my wife ever told me is having a second door and having a second option.
“I am going to be World Champion, but I am not going to be a fighter forever.”
