Ian Machado Garry vows to dethrone Islam Makhachev at UFC 330: ‘I’m going to bounce him on his skull’

Ian Machado Garry is bracing for the toughest test of his UFC career: a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia. Garry earned the opportunity by winning back-to-back bouts against former champion Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates in 2025, raising his octagon record to 10–1.

Despite acknowledging Makhachev's elite overall skill set, Garry is banking on attributes the champion has never faced. "He's never fought someone as long and tall as me," Garry said in a social media video. "He's not fought someone as fast as me. He's not fought someone who has the distance management, the boxing capabilities, the head movement that I do, but also the takedown defense."

Makhachev currently holds a 16-fight winning streak, tied with legendary middleweight champion Anderson Silva for the longest in UFC history. The Dagestani dominated across two weight classes, defending the lightweight title four times—a record—before moving to welterweight and decisively beating Della Maddalena in November. His résumé includes signature victories over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), and Charles Oliveira.

Garry, whose sole professional loss came via short-notice decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov in 2024, trains alongside Charles Oliveira in Brazil and welcomes the challenge of facing Makhachev's dominant wrestling. "He might get me down," Garry said. "I hope he does. Because I want to prove to the world that he can't submit me. I want to prove to the world that I can get back up. I want to prove to the world that I can beat him in his own world… I'm going to bounce him on his skull. I'm going to take his title. I'm going to take his throne. And I'm going to finish that consecutive win streak. And I'll always be the guy that stopped history from happening."