Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad, Calls Out Islam Makhachev for Welterweight Title Shot

ABHA, Qatar – Ian Machado Garry just took the biggest step of his career and then went straight for the champion’s throat on the mic. In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 265 at ABHA Arena, Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) earned the biggest win of his career with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC). The judges scored it 30–27, 30–27, and 29–28.

The performance, built on range, movement, and sharp striking, immediately fueled Machado Garry’s argument that he should be next in line for newly crowned welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.

Long Range, Sharp Hands, and Costly Eye Pokes

The fight started to heat up early before an unfortunate interruption: Machado Garry caught Muhammad with a finger to the eye, forcing a lengthy pause of nearly two minutes. On the restart, both men got back to work, but it was Machado Garry who began to separate himself. He used his length to control the distance, snapping Muhammad’s head back with straight shots and chopping away with heavy calf kicks whenever Muhammad tried to step into range.

Muhammad’s problem was clear: he couldn’t consistently get inside Garry’s reach, nor could he drag the fight to the mat.

Round 2 opened with Muhammad upping the pressure, mixing strikes with level changes as he searched for a takedown. But once again, he couldn’t complete the shot. Late in the round, another eye poke from Machado Garry halted the action, but the referee elected not to deduct a point — a key decision in a still-competitive fight.

Down the Stretch, Garry Answers the Challenge

Heading into Round 3, the fight felt up for grabs. Muhammad came out with urgency, pressing forward and forcing exchanges. He landed some clean shots, but Machado Garry continued to stick, move, and snipe from the outside. Whenever Muhammad committed, Garry answered with the cleaner, more damaging counters.

In the end, the judges favored Garry’s precision and control over Muhammad’s pressure, awarding the Irish contender his second straight high-level win and another signature name on his résumé.

Muhammad, meanwhile, drops to 0–2 in 2025, having previously lost his belt by unanimous decision to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.

“Belal Couldn’t Take Me Down, So Islam, You Try”

If the performance didn’t make Machado Garry’s intentions clear, his post-fight promo did. With Michael Bisping holding the mic, Garry went straight at Islam Makhachev, who moved up from lightweight and claimed the welterweight title at UFC 322.

“Belal couldn’t take me down, so Islam, you try to take me down,” Machado Garry said. “I’m telling you now, I’m the best in the world, and you have a duty to defend that belt against the best welterweight on the planet – and you’re looking at him.

You come into my division, and you show up wherever you want in the world, and I’ll be there. And I’m taking that throne from you, and I’m ending that continuous streak. You’re done.”

A Crowded Road to the Belt

Even with a win over a former champion, Machado Garry isn’t alone in the title conversation.

• Carlos Prates delivered a statement knockout of former champ Leon Edwards at UFC 322.

• Michael Morales stayed unbeaten and scored a first-round finish over Sean Brady on the same card.

• Shavkat Rakhmonov remains undefeated and looming, even if he hasn’t been active this year.

But in a division full of rising killers, few are talking as loudly  or winning as consistently as Ian Machado Garry.

On Saturday in Qatar, he didn’t just beat Belal Muhammad. He made his move on Islam Makhachev’s throne.