[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Hee-soo] Familiar territory — and that’s part of the appeal.
No. 2-ranked UFC welterweight Ian Garry took a shot at champion Islam Makhachev on his personal social media on the 24th. Garry posted a photo of himself grinning with blood on his brow and wrote, “You said you had a hand injury, Dana said August, you said July. We’re all waiting for you, princess.” He even set Bruno Mars’s “Runaway Baby” as the background music, another clear provocation.
With Makhachev’s first welterweight title defense still up in the air, Garry has been persistent in his calls. After defeating former champion Belal Muhammad last November, Garry publicly challenged Makhachev: “You can’t stop me, you can’t take me down. You’re a Russian wrestler, I’m an Irish striker. We all want this matchup. Fight me.” The line intentionally evoked the Khabib–McGregor rivalry.
Garry has earned his place among the top welterweight contenders. No. 1 Jack Della Maddalena already has a bout booked against Carlos Prates, and Garry has beaten No. 4 Belal and No. 5 Prates. That puts him alongside No. 3 Michael Morales as a leading contender. On paper, Garry’s résumé looks stronger than Morales’s, who — aside from Sean Brady — hasn't beaten anyone inside the top five.
Still, one reason Garry hasn’t been granted a direct title shot is the UFC’s interest in a potential super fight between Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Topuria is slated to fight Justin Gaethje in June for the undisputed lightweight crown. If Topuria wins, he could pursue a historic three-division conquest by moving up to challenge Makhachev.
Talk of that matchup dates back to when Makhachev was a lightweight and Topuria a featherweight, so the UFC will be reluctant to abandon it. Now that both men have moved up and captured belts, the bout carries extra weight — and if Garry were to beat Makhachev, it could upend those long-term plans for the promotion.
For fight fans, though, Garry vs. Makhachev is an enticing matchup. As Garry points out, it would mirror the Khabib–McGregor dynamic: an elite grappler versus a high-level striker. It’s also one of the clearest, most legitimate fights that can be made in the current welterweight picture. Many fans are frustrated when contenders with strong cases get passed over in favor of super fights, which only increases the appetite for this bout.
An Irish striker taunts a Russian wrestler. Both men have proven their skills. It’s familiar — and familiarity can be dangerous. Will a title fight between Garry and Makhachev, one that taps into the raw instincts of fight fans, actually materialize?
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