Top welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry has begun training camp for his first 2026 fight after a 2-0 run in 2025, including wins over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad. Now at 15-1, Garry eyes a shot at champion Islam Makhachev, who won the belt from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Carlos Prates, ranked #5 after knocking out Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards, also teased fight news, hinting at a potential rematch. #3 Michael Morales, undefeated at 19-0 with a win over Sean Brady, looms as another contender. This intensifies the welterweight title picture amid frequent 2025 changes. Another win likely secures Garry's challenge.
Ian Machado Garry has entered training camp with welterweight title ambitions firmly in sight, the Irishman setting his sights on champion Islam Makhachev as he plots his first fight of 2026.
Garry, nicknamed "The Future," enters camp riding a two-fight winning streak in 2025 that included victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad. Now 17-1 and ranked number one in the welterweight division at just 28 years old, the six-foot-three southpaw-slayer has positioned himself as the most logical next challenger. He lands 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, making him one of the division's most active offensive forces, and his 74-inch reach gives him a consistent physical edge at range.
Standing across from him in the championship conversation is Makhachev, who claimed the welterweight belt from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. The Russian champion, now 28-1 and 34 years old, is a dual threat of the highest order — landing 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes while averaging 1.1 submission attempts in the same span and connecting at a 58 percent striking accuracy rate. His southpaw stance and relentless grappling pressure make him a stylistically complex puzzle for any contender.
The welterweight picture is crowded, however. Carlos Prates, ranked fifth following knockouts of Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards, has teased fight news of his own and could be angling for a rematch with Garry. Meanwhile, Michael Morales sits at number three, undefeated at 19-0 after defeating Sean Brady, and represents another credible voice in the title conversation.
Why it matters
- Garry at 17-1 and ranked first is the frontrunner for the next welterweight title shot
- Makhachev brings a grappling-heavy style that presents a sharply different challenge from Garry's recent opponents
- Prates and Morales both have strong cases, meaning Garry may need one more statement win to lock in a date with the champion
