Ian Machado Garry “would love” to fight Islam Makhachev if he moves up to welterweight: “I want to test myself”

Ian Machado Garry would like to test himself against Islam Makhachev if the lightweight champ moves up to welterweight.

Makhachev has been rumored to want to pursue a second belt and has shown interest in going up to welterweight. If the lightweight champ does move up to welterweight, it’s likely he will get an immediate title shot. But, after that, Garry says he wants to fight Makhachev as he wants to test himself against the best.

“He can jump the queue if he wants to, he’s Islam Makhachev, he’s the pound-for-pound number one. You’ve gotta give respect when respect is due,” Garry said to Shakiel Mahjouri. “And if that man turns up and says, ‘I want to be next,’ I think everyone in the welterweight division gives the ‘Okay’. And I think if you try to argue that, you don’t have respect for the greatest in the world.

Ian Machado Garry would love to fight Islam Makhachev

“I think he’s an absolute disaster for everyone in the division if he comes up and doesn’t have to cut weight, he’ll still be big, he’ll still be strong, he’s the perfect example of the new evolution of fighters, great everywhere,” Garry added. “You look at Khabib, and Khabib was dominant at grappling. Islam is the exact same. Probably more clean when it comes to his grappling, not the same dog pressure that Khabib had. When you look at Islam on the feet, he can crack. I think he makes the welterweight division even more fun. I have nothing but respect for the man. But I’m someone who wants to test himself against the best in the world. And I’d love to test myself against him.”

Although Ian Machado Garry wants to fight Islam Makhachev, it likely wouldn’t happen for some time, if it ever does. Makhachev would be coming up for the belt, and Garry would need to work his way up to a title shot.

But Ian Machado Garry is set to take on Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City on Saturday. If he wins that, he could be a win away from a title shot, and perhaps Makhachev would be the champ by then.