Ian Machado Garry may have fallen short in his bid for UFC gold, but the Irish star is refusing to let the setback define him.
Garry challenged Islam Makhachev for the UFC Welterweight Championship in the main event of UFC 330 on Saturday night. It was the biggest fight of his career and his first shot at UFC gold. While he ultimately suffered a unanimous decision loss, Ian Machado Garry proved he belonged on the sport’s biggest stage by pushing one of MMA’s most dominant champions to the limit.
After a competitive opening two rounds, Garry produced some of his best work in the third frame, finding success on the feet and forcing Makhachev to adjust. However, the champion regained control with his grappling in the championship rounds and secured the victory on the scorecards.
Despite the defeat, Ian Machado Garry left Philadelphia with his confidence intact. The 28-year-old survived a devastating second-round head kick knockdown, went the full 25 minutes against the UFC’s pound-for-pound king, and walked away believing his best days are still ahead.
In a video posted to Instagram after the fight, Garry shared an emotional message with his supporters.
“Tonight wasn’t my night,” Garry said. “I feel great. I did great. Islam was just better than me tonight, and that’s OK. I want everybody who loves me, supports me, and wants to see me do better to know that I’m going to be back.”
“I’m not disheartened by this. I’m bulletproof in my mind. I’m 28 years of age. I just fought arguably the greatest fighter we’ve ever seen in this sport, and I pushed him to the f**ing wire. I’m so proud of myself, and I’m so proud of my team and everything we’ve done. I’m so proud of what I’ve done in this world and who I’ve become. Nobody’s stopping me. Tonight was not my night.”*
The loss marks just the second defeat of Garry’s professional career and ends what had been an impressive run back into title contention. After suffering his first loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, Garry rebounded with key victories over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and rising contender Carlos Prates to earn his championship opportunity.
While UFC gold will have to wait, Ian Machado Garry remains focused on the future. Rather than dwelling on the result, he praised Makhachev and his team while promising fans that he will return stronger.
“Islam, your team, congratulations,” Garry said. “Your guys did amazing. I have nothing but love and respect for everything you guys have done in this sport. I said that to you.”
“I’ll be back. There are plenty of matchups in this sport, plenty of exciting fights that I’m looking forward to. We’ll be back, and we’ll be better than ever. I love you all. Let’s go, baby.”
