Ian Machado Garry has promised to force his way into welterweight title contention with a career-altering beatdown of former champion Belal Muhammad when the two clash TONIGHT at UFC Qatar in Doha.
Garry enters the bout on a high after a dominant decision win over knockout specialist Carlos Prates in May — a performance that helped him rebound from the first loss of his career to Shavkat Rakhmonov last December. The 28-year-old Irishman believes another major victory will make him impossible to deny.
Speaking to SunSport, Garry declared:
“I’m going to punch a hole in his face in the first round. I’m going to beat him, dominate him, make every second of that fight look easy — and then I’m getting my world title fight.”
Garry doubled down, adding that a win over Muhammad will guarantee his next bout is for UFC gold:
“My next fight, when I knock out Belal this weekend, is for a world title.”
The welterweight belt is currently held by Islam Makhachev, who captured the championship after dismantling Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Garry knows he must deliver something extraordinary to leapfrog rising contenders, especially after Prates and Michael Morales made powerful statements at Madison Square Garden with brutal stoppage victories.
But “The Future” insists none of that matters once he finishes Muhammad.
“When I knock out Belal this weekend, everything that happened last week is irrelevant,” Garry said.
“Those guys did great, but I’m going to make their work irrelevant.”
Muhammad, whose title reign ended violently at the hands of Della Maddalena, now faces the possibility of a second consecutive defeat — a setback that could end his hopes of becoming a two-time champion. Garry believes he will be the one to force that crossroads moment.
“What I’m going to do to Belal Muhammad on Saturday night will make him rethink his entire life,” Garry vowed.
“He’ll probably be done afterward.”
The Irish contender also views this matchup as the perfect preparation for facing Makhachev:
“This fight is a warm-up for Islam Makhachev. Belal is a worse version of Islam. It gets the world ready for what’s to come.”
While many in the division fear the idea of wrestling the belt away from Makhachev, Garry embraces the challenge and the magnitude of the opportunity.
“When I step into the octagon with Islam Makhachev, he will be the greatest fighter I’ve ever faced — and I will thrive on that,” he said.
“Finishing the longest win streak in UFC history and taking his belt the same night? That’s all the motivation I need.”
Garry remains undefeated against southpaws and believes Makhachev’s stance and style play into his strengths. But first, he must deliver on his promise in Doha and take out Belal Muhammad in the emphatic fashion he has predicted.
If he does, a UFC title shot may finally be undeniable.
