Ian Machado Garry says Carlos Prates is the only fighter who deserves the next welterweight title shot if Garry defeats Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. While preparing for Saturday’s main event, Garry also addressed a potential rematch with Shavkat Rakhmonov upon his return from injury.
Ian Machado Garry Backs Carlos Prates for Next Title Shot
As Ian Machado Garry prepares to challenge Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia, the Irish welterweight has already mapped out what the division should look like after Saturday night. Although he enters the title fight as a sizable betting underdog against the pound-for-pound king, Garry expressed absolute confidence during media day that he will dethrone the champion.
When asked who should challenge for the belt next, Garry dismissed the rest of the 170-pound roster according to reporting from BJPenn.com. He pointed directly to Carlos Prates as the sole contender who has done enough to earn a crack at the title.
“There is only one person who has earned or deserves the title shot after this fight and it’s Carlos Prates. All the other guys haven’t done enough.”
Ian Machado Garry, via BJPenn.com
Prates has climbed into title contention by finishing two opponents who had never previously been stopped. Garry holds a previous five-round decision win over Prates, which he secured on just three weeks’ notice. The Irishman argued that a rematch with a full training camp would yield an even more decisive outcome, adding that rising star Michael Morales and other contenders need at least one more victory before entering the conversation. Garry said during UFC 330 media day, Listen, I called him last week, we chatted about it but there is only one.
Garry also stated, Carlos Prates has earned it. Nobody else in the entire division has earned it. They all need to fight at least one more fight.
Furthermore, Garry explained, “Prates is coming off two fights against two guys that have never been finished and he did it in insane fashion. I whooped his ass for 24 minutes and I did it on three weeks’ notice. So if he wants to give me three or four months [to get ready], he knows what’s going to happen. He’ll be able to sleep well after the next one.”
Weighing an Immediate Rematch With Islam Makhachev
Beyond the matchup with Prates, Garry acknowledged that an immediate rematch with Makhachev could make sense depending on how the championship bout unfolds. Makhachev enters the card riding a 16-fight win streak as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, giving him enough institutional goodwill to warrant a second look if the first encounter is close.
Garry noted that a quick knockout might not demand an instant sequel, whereas a grueling, back-and-forth war similar to Makhachev’s past fight with Alexander Volkanovski would likely require running it back. Garry stated, I think let’s focus on beating him once and then we can focus on beating twice.
Garry also remarked, If I go out there and scalp him in two minutes, do you want to see me fight him again straight away? That’s just the way it is. If we have a back and forth war like he had with Volkanovski, it probably would warrant a rematch.
For now, however, the challenger prefers to keep his attention fixed entirely on Saturday night.
The Long-Term Future and Shavkat Rakhmonov
Another looming storyline in the welterweight division involves Shavkat Rakhmonov, who handed Garry the only loss of his professional career back in 2024. Rakhmonov was slated to fight Belal Muhammad before a knee injury sidelined him for the better part of two years.
Garry offered well wishes regarding personal hardships Rakhmonov has faced outside the cage, emphasizing that long-term health and family take precedence over fighting. At the same time, he made it clear that a rematch awaits Rakhmonov whenever he is cleared to return to the octagon, noting that Rakhmonov will jump the queue upon his return because that is the specific fight Garry wants.
“Shavkat Rakhmonov whenever he comes back, again I wish him recovery, someone told me yesterday that there’s been some hardship in his life. I wish him well. I wish him good health. I hope that everything goes well for him because there’s more things important than fighting and family and long term health is far more important than fighting.”
Ian Machado Garry
With a 17-1 record and consecutive victories over Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates, Garry steps into the UFC 330 cage with a chance to reshape the welterweight hierarchy. Whether a victory leads straight to Carlos Prates, an immediate rematch, or a future collision with Rakhmonov will be determined once the gloves touch in Philadelphia.
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