Ian Garry previews his fight with Islam Makhachev and points out 'gaps' in the champion's game.

Ian Garry has only one loss as a professional. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

Islam Makhachev 's victory against Jack Della Maddalena started a race for the number one contender spot in the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg), perhaps the most competitive in the UFC today. In this context, even though names like Michael Morales and Carlos Prates are leading the race to challenge the Russian, Ian Garry is another who will have the opportunity to stand out when he faces Belal Muhammad this Saturday (22). For him, having the opportunity to fight for the title will be a chance to expose flaws in the new champion's game.

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The Irishman spoke about the matter at UFC Qatar media day . Despite acknowledging Makhachev's talent and dominance in his victory against the Australian, the Chute Boxe Diego Lima fighter didn't mince words, stating that he could capitalize on mistakes made by the Dagestani fighter.

“Islam is phenomenal. He seemed much more precise in the striking against Jack. His calmness and composure were elite. However, there are still flaws. If you watch his strikes, you'll see obvious gaps that I would certainly exploit. But when he grabs your leg, he's the best in the world. He doesn't mess around, he always does the right thing and poses a dangerous threat in submissions. I don't care about any of that. I'm very intelligent, very agile, undefeated against southpaws. I'm simply incredibly fast. He's never seen anyone as fast as me. I'm the fastest in the world,” stated Garry, who only lost to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

Ian Garry says he sees “obvious holes” in Islam Makhachev ’s fighting style #UFCQatar

"Islam is phenomenal. He looked far cleaner on the feet against Jack. His calmness and composure were elite. However, there are still holes. If you watch his striking, there are obvious… pic.twitter.com/LI0ZrO3vRa

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 19, 2025

Besides the failure against Rakhmonov, who is injured and hasn't fought since then, the Irishman is also the only athlete in the organization to have a victory against Carlos Prates . With the opportunity to obtain a triumph against a former champion next Saturday (22), the athlete can get a place in second position in the category ranking and jump the queue for the belt dispute.

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