Garry Predicts When and How He'll Knock Out Makhachev

Pulse Sports Team 13:20 - 01 July 2026

Ian Machado Garry has vowed to knock out Islam Makhachev in their upcoming UFC 330 title clash.

“The Future,” as Garry is known, is supremely confident he will be the new welterweight champion after August 15th, when he faces Makhachev in the main event in Philadelphia. Garry enters the bout on the back of two consecutive victories over former champion Belal Muhammad and top contender Carlos Prates, with only one loss in his 11 UFC appearances. He not only plans to end Makhachev’s 16-fight winning streak but also promises there will be no doubt about who the better fighter is in the Octagon.

“My ideal scenario is a fourth-round finish,” Garry stated at a press conference in Dublin. “I don’t want an early knockout because then there will be ‘ifs,’ ‘buts,’ ‘maybes,’ and excuses. I want four rounds of complete domination, and in the fourth round, I will tell everyone what I’m going to do, and then I’ll go in and finish him. I’ll open the door, lead him into my traps, and then take his head off his shoulders,” he added.

Garry has struggled to finish his fights recently, with his last knockout coming at UFC Charlotte in 2023, where he defeated Daniel Rodriguez in the first round. Eight of his first 12 professional victories were achieved before the final bell.

The Irishman recently signed a management deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent agency, aiming to boost his popularity and earnings ahead of the biggest fight of his career. Garry has long dreamed of reaching a level of fame and influence that would convince the UFC to host an event at Croke Park stadium in Dublin. The organization hasn't visited the Irish capital since 2015, when the 3Arena event was headlined by Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka.

Matchroom is already promoting an event at Croke Park on September 5th, headlined by boxing legend Katie Taylor’s farewell fight against Flóra Pili, and Garry hopes to be the next to get that opportunity, ideally as a reigning UFC champion.

“I remember going to games in Dublin, and there were 86,700 people,” Garry said. “It’s incredible. The love in this country for sports and the support for their own is immense. I want to be the person who brings the UFC back to Ireland. It’s been a long time. I’ve been carrying the flag for Irish MMA for a very, very long time. With my next fight, I will become the winningest Irishman in UFC history, I’ll have 11 wins, and I want to bring them back here.”

“I’ve been saying it from day one. I am the next superstar of Irish MMA. I will lead the second wave, and I want to bring them back to Croke Park. I want to bring them back to Dublin. I want to bring them back wherever they decide they can go, because these fans deserve it,” the fighter concluded.