Ian Garry says he is a more well-rounded fighter than Islam Makhachev and has more paths to victory than any opponent the champion has faced. Garry cited recent upsets involving Sean Strickland and Justin Gaethje as inspiration heading into his title fight with Makhachev.
Ian Garry has declared himself the most dangerous challenger Islam Makhachev has ever faced, arguing that his versatility gives him more paths to victory than any previous opponent of the reigning champion.
Makhachev, 34, enters the fight as the undisputed welterweight champion and the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. The Russian carries a 28-1 record built largely on elite grappling, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts in the same span. He also strikes with precision, landing 58 percent of his significant attempts at a rate of 2.63 per minute, making him dangerous in every phase of a fight.
Garry, by contrast, positioned himself in the interview as a more complete fighter — one with multiple avenues to secure the belt. He pointed to two recent title-fight upsets as evidence that no champion is untouchable.
Why it matters
- Sean Strickland, the 35-year-old middleweight champion out of Xtreme Couture, owns one of the sport's busiest striking outputs at 6.04 significant strikes per minute and holds a 31-7 record, demonstrating how an underdog can upend the established order.
- Justin Gaethje, the 37-year-old lightweight champion, carries a 28-5 record and an even higher output of 6.48 significant strikes per minute, another example of a fight playing out against expectations.
- Garry's argument rests on that precedent: elite champions with dominant games can still be beaten by a well-rounded challenger who forces unpredictable positions.
- A Garry victory would represent one of the more significant upsets in recent welterweight history given Makhachev's dominance and pound-for-pound status.
