Ian Machado Garry is refusing to let his UFC 330 defeat shake his belief that he can become a UFC champion. After losing a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev in their welterweight title fight, the Irish contender has admitted that he could have been more aggressive and increased his offensive volume. However, Garry remains convinced that if he fought Makhachev again right now, he would have what it takes to beat him.
The confidence comes only a few weeks after Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight championship in Philadelphia. Garry has accepted that the champion deserved the decision, but he believes the fight also showed him exactly what he needs to change before his next opportunity against one of the best fighters in the sport.
Ian Machado Garry Believes He Can Beat Islam Makhachev
Garry’s confidence has not disappeared following the biggest defeat of his UFC career. Speaking to DAZN after the fight, the 28-year-old reflected positively on his preparation and performance, while acknowledging that there were areas where he could have done more. Rather than viewing the loss as proof that he is not ready for the championship level, Garry sees it as an opportunity to learn from competing against an elite opponent.
That belief led to his strongest statement yet. Garry said that if he and Makhachev fought again immediately, he believes he would win, pointing to his trust in his own abilities and the work he puts in with his team. His confidence is particularly notable because Makhachev had just extended his remarkable UFC winning streak to 17 victories and retained the welterweight title.
Garry is not pretending the first fight went perfectly for him. Instead, he believes there were specific adjustments that could have changed the contest, particularly in the striking exchanges. That gives his confidence a slightly different context because he is identifying areas for improvement rather than simply dismissing the result.
What Would Ian Garry Change Against Makhachev?
The biggest adjustment Garry believes he needed to make was increasing his volume. He explained that he should have thrown more strikes, used more kicks and shown greater aggression with his attacks, especially when looking for opportunities to hurt Makhachev. He also acknowledged that creating those openings against a fighter with Makhachev’s wrestling and control is extremely difficult.
That assessment is important because Garry is effectively accepting part of the criticism that followed the fight. He believes he allowed Makhachev to dictate too much of the action instead of forcing the champion to deal with a higher volume of offensive attacks.
The challenge is finding the right balance. Being more aggressive against an elite wrestler can create opportunities to score, but it can also create openings for takedowns and positional control. Garry will therefore need to increase his offensive output without becoming reckless when he eventually returns to competition.
If the two meet again, Garry appears determined to present a much more active version of himself. Whether that would be enough to defeat Makhachev remains unanswered, but the Irishman clearly believes the first fight provided valuable information that he can use.
Islam Makhachev Defeated Garry at UFC 330
The latest comments come after one of the biggest fights of Garry’s career. Makhachev defeated him by unanimous decision in the UFC 330 main event on August 15, 2026, successfully defending the UFC welterweight championship in front of the Philadelphia crowd. The official scorecards read 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Makhachev.
The result extended Makhachev’s UFC winning streak to 17 fights, moving him one victory ahead of Anderson Silva’s previous record of 16 consecutive UFC wins. It was also another major achievement for Makhachev after moving up from lightweight and becoming a two-division UFC champion.
Garry, however, did not leave the fight looking like a contender who was completely outclassed. UFC’s official recap described him as a game challenger who demonstrated that he could compete with the pound-for-pound elite, even though Makhachev ultimately found the control and positional advantages needed to win the decision.
That context matters when looking at Garry’s future. He lost a championship fight, but he went five rounds with one of the most dominant fighters in modern UFC history and now has a clearer understanding of the level he needs to reach to become champion.
The defeat also followed a strong run that had placed Garry at the top of the welterweight division. His previous victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad earned him the opportunity to challenge Makhachev, and the experience should provide another layer to his development.
Makhachev’s Wrestling Made the Difference
Makhachev’s ability to combine his striking with his wrestling was one of the defining factors in the UFC 330 main event. The champion showed that he could threaten Garry on the feet before changing levels and using his grappling to control important stretches of the fight.
One of the most dangerous moments came in the second round, when Makhachev landed a head kick that dropped Garry. The Irishman recovered, but the sequence demonstrated how difficult it was to predict the champion’s attacks when he could move seamlessly between striking and wrestling.
The later rounds were even more important. Makhachev returned to his wrestling in the fourth round, secured multiple takedowns and continued controlling the fight. In the fifth, he took Garry down and eventually secured his back, remaining in that position for much of the closing round.
Garry survived the late submission threat and made it to the final horn, but Makhachev’s control was enough to secure the judges’ decision. For Garry, those moments offer a clear blueprint of what he needs to prepare for if he wants another championship opportunity.His striking ability remains one of his biggest weapons, but his next evolution may involve finding better ways to maintain his offensive rhythm while preventing elite wrestlers from turning exchanges into long grappling sequences.
Dana White Was Critical of Garry’s Performance
Garry’s own assessment also overlaps with some of the criticism that followed the UFC 330 main event. UFC CEO Dana White was critical of the challenger’s lack of aggression and believed Garry needed to take more risks if he wanted to defeat a champion of Makhachev’s level.
Garry’s response suggests that he has taken at least part of that criticism on board. His comments about needing more volume, more kicks and greater aggression indicate that he understands he cannot simply wait for opportunities against an opponent as experienced and disciplined as Makhachev.
At the same time, Garry cannot afford to turn the rematch into a reckless striking battle. Makhachev’s wrestling is too dangerous for that approach, particularly when the champion can punish overextended attacks with takedowns and positional control.The goal, therefore, would be controlled aggression. Garry needs to make Makhachev work harder defensively without giving the champion easy opportunities to close distance and establish his preferred grappling positions.
Garry’s UFC Record After the Loss
The defeat against Makhachev moved Garry’s professional record to 17-2-0.Ian Machado Garry 17-2-0,UFC’s official fighter profile lists seven knockout victories, one submission win and four first-round finishes. Garry has been competing professionally since 2019 and made his UFC debut in November 2021, quickly becoming one of the promotion’s most prominent young welterweights.His two professional losses have now come against Shavkat Rakhmonov and Islam Makhachev. That is significant context because neither defeat came against an unranked opponent during the early stages of his UFC career.
Garry’s UFC rise included victories over established competition and eventually put him in position to fight for the welterweight championship. His most recent loss therefore represents a setback, but it does not erase the run that earned him the opportunity in the first place.The Irishman is also still only 28 years old. That leaves him time to make technical adjustments, gain more experience against elite wrestlers and potentially return to the title picture.
Ian Machado Garry Wants to Return Quickly
Garry does not appear interested in spending a long period on the sidelines. When asked about his return, he indicated that he wants to compete again as soon as he is physically ready and is willing to face whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
That approach makes sense for a fighter coming off a decision loss rather than a damaging knockout or submission defeat. Garry went five rounds against Makhachev and has already identified several areas he wants to improve, meaning another fight could provide an opportunity to test those changes.
However, the UFC welterweight division is not short on contenders. Garry may need to defeat another highly ranked opponent before the promotion considers putting him straight back into a championship fight.His previous path to the title shows that he is capable of rebuilding momentum quickly. The key will be turning his confidence into another strong performance inside the Octagon.
Who Could Ian Garry Fight Next?
There is currently no officially confirmed next opponent for Garry. A matchup against another ranked welterweight would make the most sense if the UFC wants to keep him near the top of the division while giving him an opportunity to rebuild his winning momentum.
A rematch with Makhachev should therefore be viewed as a longer-term possibility rather than an immediate expectation. Makhachev won the first fight clearly on the official scorecards and has plenty of other potential challengers waiting for their own opportunity.
The champion has also indicated that he expects several difficult fights ahead of him at welterweight. Sportsgotec has already covered his plans in Islam Makhachev’s next three fights, which provides additional context for why Garry may have to wait before getting another championship opportunity.
For Garry, the smartest route is likely to focus on the next opponent rather than the rematch. One convincing victory over a top contender could quickly restore his position in the title conversation.
Could Garry Get an Immediate Rematch?
An immediate rematch would be difficult to justify based purely on the UFC 330 result. Makhachev won all three judges’ scorecards, defended his championship and extended his record UFC winning streak to 17 victories. There was no controversial decision or disputed ending that would create an obvious reason for the UFC to book an instant rematch.
There are also other contenders competing for the next opportunity. Carlos Prates has recently expressed confidence that he can defeat Makhachev and has discussed the possibility of challenging for the welterweight championship, adding another name to the increasingly competitive title picture.
Garry’s best argument for another title shot will therefore be winning. If he returns, defeats another elite opponent and demonstrates the improvements he has talked about, the UFC will have a much stronger reason to consider him again.
The first Makhachev fight also gives Garry something that many contenders do not have: five rounds of direct experience against the champion. If he eventually gets another opportunity, he will know much more about the champion’s timing, wrestling pressure and positional control.
Why Garry’s Confidence Still Matters
The most interesting aspect of Garry’s latest comments is not simply his claim that he would win a rematch. It is the fact that he remains confident while also acknowledging mistakes from the first fight.
That combination can be useful for a young contender. A fighter who loses confidence after a title defeat can struggle to regain momentum, while a fighter who refuses to acknowledge mistakes may fail to make the technical changes necessary to improve.
Garry appears to be taking a middle ground. He accepts that Makhachev won and recognizes that he needed to be more active, but he does not believe the loss proves that he cannot become champion.
His mentality is also consistent with the confidence he displayed before UFC 330. In the build-up to the fight, Garry repeatedly spoke about his belief that he could defeat Makhachev and become the welterweight champion. UFC’s pre-fight coverage highlighted how long he had been promising himself a run at the top of the sport.
That confidence has now been tested by the reality of five rounds against Makhachev. His next fights will show whether he can turn that confidence into the tactical improvements required at championship level.
Garry Has Already Shown He Can Rebound
Garry has already demonstrated that he can respond positively to difficult moments. Before fighting Makhachev, he had built an impressive run through the welterweight division, including unanimous decision victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad.
The Prates victory came in April 2025, when Garry won a five-round unanimous decision. He then defeated former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision in November 2025, earning the type of high-level victory that helped put him in position for the Makhachev title fight. UFC’s official record confirms both results.
Those victories show why Garry should not be judged solely on the UFC 330 result. He has already proved that he can fight at a high level for 25 minutes and defeat experienced opponents.
Now he has to do it again.
The difference is that his next opponents will know exactly what he learned from the Makhachev fight, and Garry will need to demonstrate that his improvements are real rather than simply theoretical.
What Ian Machado Garry Needs to Prove Next
The biggest question is whether Garry can make the tactical changes he says he needs to make. More offensive volume would allow him to use his long-range striking more consistently, while additional kicks could help disrupt opponents attempting to close the distance.
But aggression has to be controlled. Against a wrestler like Makhachev, throwing more does not automatically mean fighting better. Every committed attack can potentially create an opening for a takedown, and once Makhachev establishes control, escaping can become extremely difficult.
Garry therefore needs to develop a style that keeps opponents under pressure without giving away his position. His height, reach and striking ability can make him difficult to deal with at range, but he needs to make sure he uses those physical advantages consistently.
The UFC’s current statistics show that Garry has landed 804 significant strikes in his UFC career and averages 4.29 significant strikes per minute. Those numbers demonstrate that offensive output is already an important part of his game; the challenge is maintaining that output against opponents capable of neutralizing his striking through wrestling.That could be the biggest lesson from UFC 330.
The Road Back to the Welterweight Title
Garry remains one of the most recognizable young contenders in the welterweight division, but the route back to the championship will probably require another major victory. His 17-2 record, striking ability and experience against elite competition give him a strong foundation, but Makhachev has already shown that Garry needs more than confidence to become champion.
The good news for Garry is that he has time. At 28, he can continue developing his wrestling defense, improve his ability to fight through prolonged grappling exchanges and become more comfortable maintaining high output against opponents who want to slow the pace.
The first fight can also serve as an unusually valuable learning experience. Garry now knows exactly what it feels like to share the Octagon with Makhachev for 25 minutes, and that experience could be useful if the two eventually meet again.
Makhachev’s own championship future will also influence Garry’s chances. The champion is already facing pressure from other top contenders, and Sportsgotec has previously covered the Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry UFC storyline as the rivalry developed around their first meeting.
For now, Garry’s focus should be on rebuilding rather than waiting for a rematch.
What Comes Next for Ian Machado Garry?
The next few months could tell us a lot about Garry’s future. If he returns with a more aggressive striking game, better offensive volume and improved defensive wrestling, he can quickly remind the division why he was considered worthy of challenging Makhachev in the first place.
A convincing victory over another ranked opponent would put him right back into the conversation. A dominant performance could be even more valuable because it would show that the lessons from UFC 330 have translated into measurable improvements.
The biggest danger would be rushing back without addressing the issues that Makhachev exposed. Garry wants to compete as soon as possible, but returning quickly only matters if he is returning as a better fighter.
That is ultimately what makes his current situation so interesting. He has already experienced the highest level of competition, knows what went wrong and believes he can correct it.
Whether he can do that against another elite opponent will determine how quickly he can get back to the title picture.
Final Thoughts
Ian Machado Garry is not allowing his UFC 330 defeat to change his belief that he can become UFC champion. Islam Makhachev defeated him by unanimous decision on August 15, 2026, successfully defended the welterweight title and extended his UFC winning streak to 17 fights.
Garry, however, believes the first fight could have gone differently if he had increased his offensive volume and shown more aggression. He has specifically pointed to throwing more strikes, using more kicks and bringing greater intensity to his attacks as areas he would change in a rematch.
For now, there is no confirmed second fight between the two. Makhachev has other contenders waiting, while Garry needs to rebuild his momentum after suffering the second professional loss of his career.
Still, the Irishman’s confidence is understandable. He went five rounds with one of the best fighters in the sport, survived Makhachev’s strongest grappling sequences and left the fight with a clear understanding of what he needs to improve.
If Garry can turn those lessons into action, another championship run remains realistic. And if he eventually earns another opportunity against Makhachev, he will enter that fight with something he did not have the first time: direct five-round experience against the champion.
