Ahead of his fight with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, Ian Garry pointed to the recent upsets of Sean Strickland and Justin Gaethje as inspiration. Garry argued he is a more well-rounded fighter with more paths to victory than those challengers, declaring himself the most dangerous opponent Makhachev has faced.
Ian Garry went on the offensive ahead of his lightweight title challenge, declaring himself the most dangerous opponent Islam Makhachev has ever faced.
Speaking ahead of the bout, Garry pointed to two recent high-profile upsets as a blueprint for what is possible. He cited Sean Strickland's rise and Justin Gaethje's title run as proof that perceived underdogs can seize championship gold, then argued he brings a more complete skill set than either fighter, giving him more ways to beat the Russian champion.
Makhachev enters the fight with a 28-1 record and holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking. The 34-year-old southpaw from Russia trains out of Eagles MMA and has built his reign on suffocating grappling, averaging 3.2 takedowns per fifteen minutes while landing 58 percent of his significant strikes. He also averages 1.1 submission attempts per fifteen minutes, giving opponents very little margin for error on the mat.
Gaethje, 37, carries a 28-5 record and holds championship status in the lightweight division. The Arizona native out of Genesis Training Center is one of the sport's most aggressive offensive fighters, averaging 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, though his takedown output of 0.33 per fifteen minutes reflects a game built primarily on stand-up warfare.
Strickland, the 35-year-old middleweight champion from Xtreme Couture, owns a 31-7 record and an elite striking volume of 6.04 significant strikes per minute. His path to and through the middleweight division has been built on pressure and output rather than finishing.
Why it matters
- Makhachev's pound-for-pound status means any credible challenger immediately enters the broader title conversation across divisions
- Garry's claim of being more well-rounded directly targets Makhachev's grappling dominance as a perceived exploitable edge
- The outcome carries significant weight in the lightweight rankings regardless of how the fight unfolds
