Islam Makhachev ignores Carlos Prates and indicates a possible opponent for the UFC belt.

Islam Makhachev holds titles in two UFC weight classes. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

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Islam Makhachev , it seems, has already decided who his next opponent should be in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The Russian, who won the welterweight title (up to 77 kg) by dominating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, now has a long list of potential title challengers. Among the names mentioned, the champion points to Ian Garry as the main candidate.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Makhachev indicated that he intends to return in August and guaranteed that he will be ready for the date. The champion acknowledged the presence of several contenders in the division, but highlighted Garry as the number one contender in the race for the belt. Despite this, he made it clear that he does not intend to make things easy for any of the interested parties.

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“I’ll be ready in August. There are many challengers, but number 1 is Ian Garry , and we still have a few more who want to take the belt, but I’m not going to give it to anyone,” said Islam Makhachev.

With 28 wins and only one loss in his career, Makhachev is rapidly establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time. The Russian has six title fight victories and has won 62% of his bouts by stoppage.

Riding high after victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad , Garry emerged as the main challenger for the welterweight title. Besides the Irishman, names like Kamaru Usman , Michael Morales , Shavkat Rakhmonov , and even Ilia Topuria also appeared as possible candidates to face the Dagestani fighter.

With his sights set on Islam Makhachev, Ian Garry traveled to improve his grappling skills.

Ian Garry has been training in Georgia. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

PUBLICITY:

Even before the fight with Islam Makahchev was announced, Ian Garry had already begun his preparations. The Irishman sought to strengthen his grappling skills to face the Russian and drew attention on social media by sharing a trip to Georgia, a country with strong wrestling traditions.

Ian Garry is heading to Tbilisi, Georgia 🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/70kYW0FwXQ

— UFCStats💭 (@TheUFCStats) February 15, 2026

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