The welterweight title picture went through the mother of all shake-ups at UFC 322 last weekend, but Ian Machado Garry is ready to flip it on its head once again this Saturday.
Former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) announced his arrival in the division in style, dominating Jack Della Maddalena over 25 minutes in the main event at Madison Square Garden to claim the 170-pound title. On the same card, Michael Morales (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Carlos Prates (23-7 MMA, 6-1 UFC) delivered sensational first-round knockouts to stake their respective claims as potential next challengers for the new champion.
Machado Garry (16-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who is preparing to take on former welterweight titleholder Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) in the co-main event at UFC Qatar this Saturday, believes his performance in Doha will be the ultimate deciding factor in what happens next in the division.
“I think the guys did a great job last week, and they did what they needed to do,” the Irishman told reporters at the UFC Qatar media day. “However, I believe I am the deciding factor in what happens for the rest of the division. Islam winning the belt means that he's the champion of the world. We need a number one contender. When you beat number one and you knock out number one in the fashion that I believe I'm going to do it in, there's nothing else; I'm next.”
Almost immediately after Dana White wrapped the UFC welterweight strap around Makhachev’s waist on Saturday night, the focus shifted to what might be next for the new champion. Both Makhachev and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, have floated the name of Kamaru Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) as a potential next challenger. However, given that “The Nigerian Nightmare” is also a client of Abdelaziz, there may be some ulterior motives at play.
“Dude, I said this to you guys six months ago: if Islam Makhachev wants to come up to the welterweight division, everybody takes a step back and gives the pound for pound king the respect he deserves,” Machado Garry said. “That respect has to then be returned. When you come to the division and you achieve the success that you wanted to achieve, and you succeed in getting to your dreams, then you need to also be the man to back it up and fight the best welterweights on the planet.
“He's calling out Kamaru Usman; that's a has-been, someone who used to be, not is right now. When you've got the likes of me, Morales, Prates…all of us contending to be the next best thing in this division, there's no question. When I knock out Belal this weekend, I'm the number one contender, and the right thing to do, Islam, is to defend the belt against me.”
