Ian Machado Garry walks into the Octagon with a chance he has never had before. On Saturday, August 15, he challenges for a UFC title for the first time in his career.
The Fight
Garry meets Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia. Makhachev defends the welterweight title he now holds with a 28-1 professional record.
How Makhachev Got Here
He won the belt at UFC 322 in November 2025, beating Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision to become a two-division champion.
Before that move, he had defended the lightweight title a record four times, then vacated it to chase welterweight gold.
He arrived at the Della Maddalena fight one win from tying Anderson Silva’s UFC record of 16 consecutive victories, a streak Silva built between 2006 and 2012. The win tied the mark.
Garry’s Early Years
Garry made his professional debut on February 16, 2019, at Cage Warriors 101, beating James Sheehan by unanimous decision.
He won the vacant Cage Warriors welterweight championship on June 26, 2021, defeating Jack Grant by unanimous decision, before moving to the UFC.
The UFC Run
Inside the UFC, Garry has beaten Neil Magny, Daniel Rodriguez, Geoff Neal, Michael Page, Carlos Prates and former champion Belal Muhammad.
Under the UFC banner alone, his record stands at 10-1, with seven decisions and three knockouts.
The Only Loss
Garry’s single professional defeat came against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in 2024.
He answered with three straight wins over Muhammad, Prates and Page, and enters UFC 330 with a 17-1 record overall.
No Trash Talk
“Islam is, until proven otherwise, the best fighter on this planet. He is the person I have to defeat to become world champion,” Garry said.
Rather than needling his opponent, Garry has said he placed Makhachev “on a pedestal” ahead of the fight.
Pay-Per-View Stakes
A card built around a first-time challenger and a two-division champion carries its own commercial weight, the kind explored in this look at the business of pay-per-view in combat sports.
How fight fans respond to a matchup like this also reflects broader habits covered in how boxing and MMA audiences differ.
A Loaded Night
UFC 330 carries two title fights and six Brazilian fighters on the same card.
