Ian Machado Garry thinks UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev would be a welcomed addition to welterweight.
Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is eyeing a move up to 170 pounds to chase a second UFC belt, but would rather not fight current champion Belal Muhammad. If Muhammad loses his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena in their UFC 315 headliner on May 10, Khabib Nurmagomedov sees Makhachev likely moving up to fight for the title.
Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who meets Carlos Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 66 headliner (ESPN2, ESPN+) at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., would have no issues with Makhachev cutting the line.
“He can jump the queue if he wants to – he’s Islam Makhachev,” Machado Garry told CBS Sports. “He’s the pound-for-pound No. 1. You’ve got to give respect where respect is due. If that man turns up and says, ‘I want to be next,’ I think everyone in the welterweight goes, ‘OK.’ And I think if you try and argue that, then you don’t have respect for the greatest in the world.”
Machado Garry sees Makhachev posing the same problems at a weight class above.
“I think he’s an absolute disaster for everyone in the division if he comes up and doesn’t have to cut weight,” Machado Garry said. “He’ll still be big. He’ll still be strong. He’s the perfect example of the new evolution of the fighters – great everywhere. You look at Khabib, and Khabib was just dominant at grappling. Islam is the exact same – probably more clean when it comes to his grappling, not the same dog pressure that Khabib has.
“And when you look at Islam on the feet, dude – he can crack. So I think he makes the welterweight division even more fun, and I have nothing but respect for the man. But I’m someone who wants to test myself against the best in the world, and I would love to test myself against him.”
