Ian Machado Garry says Islam Makhachev is Hiding Behind a Fake Injury
Ian Machado Garry has turned up the heat on Islam Makhachev, openly claiming the new welterweight champion is hiding behind a hand injury to delay their first title clash at 170 pounds. The Irish contender insists he is ready now and says he sees a pattern of champions slowing their schedule once they reach the top.
Ian Garry calls out “excuse” on Islam Makhachev’s injury
In a recent Instagram video, Garry reacted to reports that Makhachev is dealing with a hand issue picked up after his win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, saying he simply does not believe the story. He joked that if the injury is real, it might have happened while horse riding rather than in the cage, underlining how little stock he puts in the champion’s explanation. Garry stressed he has no injury of his own and is already in full training with the aim of facing Makhachev as soon as possible.
Garry went further than questioning the medical update, accusing Makhachev of doing what he described as “what all champions do” once they get the belt, staying inactive to keep their position. In his view, the hand problem is “an excuse” that allows the champion to slow play his first welterweight defense rather than risk the new title quickly against a hungry contender. He also used the post to underline a promise that if he becomes champion, he intends to fight frequently and remain “insanely active.”
Makhachev arrived at welterweight as a dominant lightweight titleholder, having defended his 155‑pound belt four times before moving up. At UFC 311, he recorded his fourth lightweight title defense by submitting Renato Moicano, then chose to vacate that belt and chase history at 170. That move paid off at UFC 322, where he defeated Jack Della Maddalena to claim the welterweight crown, adding a second divisional title to his résumé and bolstering his pound‑for‑pound status.
Since UFC 322, however, his next steps have been clouded by the hand injury that UFC president Dana White has acknowledged publicly without offering details. White has said the promotion does not yet know how serious the hand issue is or how long it will keep Makhachev out, leaving his return timeline unresolved. With no formal medical update and main events already mapped out through the UFC card scheduled for the White House show (UFC Freedom 250), it has become increasingly likely that his first welterweight defense will land around International Fight Week or later in the summer.
Garry has spent the last year positioning himself as the leading candidate for that first defense and believes his record justifies it. At UFC Qatar in November 2025, he scored the biggest victory of his career with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the co‑main event. Garry shut down all seven of Muhammad’s takedown attempts and out‑landed him on the feet over three rounds, earning scorecards of 30–27, 30–27, and 29–28.
The win in Qatar followed a stretch where Garry took short‑notice opportunities and still came out on top in two of his last three such bouts, a pattern he points to when he talks about being willing to step in whenever the UFC calls. That activity has fueled his argument that he should be next for Makhachev rather than watching from the sidelines for most of 2026. Garry has also been open about traveling to Georgia to sharpen his wrestling, responding to earlier comments from Makhachev that this work was pointless and using that back‑and‑forth to keep their potential matchup in the spotlight.
While Garry is making the loudest case, he is not the only name in the mix for Makhachev’s first welterweight defense. Rising contender Michael Morales, currently ranked No. 3 at 170 pounds, has pushed himself into the conversation with a string of wins capped by a standout performance at UFC 322. Morales’ recent knockout at that event helped close the gap between him and Garry in the title queue, and there has been speculation that the UFC could decide between them depending on timing and availability as Makhachev’s hand heals.
Complicating the picture is the UFC’s packed schedule. Dana White has already announced main events through UFC Freedom 250, the historic card set for the White House, which limits where a welterweight title fight can realistically land on the calendar. If Makhachev’s recovery pushes him beyond those dates, International Fight Week in July becomes the natural target, giving the promotion time to decide whether Garry’s pressure campaign or Morales’ momentum earns the first crack at the champion.
Garry has made it clear which way he thinks things should go, insisting he has done enough in the cage and on short notice to warrant the shot and dismissing Makhachev’s injury as a stalling tactic. Whether the UFC sees it the same way may decide if Garry’s next walk is for the belt or if he has to take one more high‑risk fight while the champion’s hand heals and the division waits.
