A colossal Welterweight contest has been added to UFC 303 as Ian Machado Garry will face Michael 'Venom' Page at UFC 303.
The bout had been touted for several weeks, with both athletes confirming they had signed bout agreements and the UFC made the fight official this past weekend.
The number seven ranked Machado Garry will appear for the first time on a UFC card with his fellow country man Conor McGregor, as 'The Notorious' takes on Michael Chandler in the main event of the evening.
After claiming Cage Warriors gold back in June of 2021, Machado Garry was quickly picked up by the UFC and made his promotional debut against Jordan Williams at UFC 268. The Irishman instantly made a name for himself in the promotion when he stopped Williams in the first round.
He then made the walk twice in 2022, racking up unanimous decision wins against Darian Weeks and Gabe Green before catapulting himself into the rankings in 2023. After a third round stoppage against Kenan Song at UFC 285, the big names started to line up for Machado Garry. In his fifth bout inside the Octagon, 'The Future' faced the vastly more experienced Daniel Rodriguez and stopped him with a head kick, followed up by a barrage of strikes in the very first round.
Machado Garry then faced another step up in opposition when he took on Welterweight gatekeeper, Neil Magny. The Irishman never looked in trouble and cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
In his last outing, the 26-year-old faced the gritty Geoff Neal, in what was an extremely close bout. Machado Garry claimed the split decision and extended his impressive unbeaten streak to 14.
MVP had largely been considered to be one of the biggest names outside of the UFC for some time so when the announcement came that he was signing with the promotion, there was a lot of discussion as to how he would cope in the UFC.
Page made his promotional debut on the stacked UFC 299 card, when he faced Kevin Holland. The 37-year-old is known for his unique and eye catching style, which was on display for all to see as he pulled on the UFC gloves for the first time.
Over the 15 minute affair, MVP looked more than comfortable and earned a unanimous decision victory. Keen to advance up the rankings as quick as possible, the London Shootfighter's Welterweight will bounce into the top 10 if he has his hand raised against Machado Garry.
