Ian Machado Garry is set to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Garry, 17-1 in MMA and 10-1 in the UFC, will meet Makhachev, who holds a 28-1 MMA record and is 17-1 in the UFC, in a 170-pound championship clash after Makhachev claimed the welterweight belt at UFC 322 in November.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry made clear what this opportunity means to him. "There is nobody else I would want to beat to prove that I'm the champion of the world," he said. "There's nobody else I'm more excited to fight and test myself against than this dominance in Islam Makhachev. He's earned the title as the pound-for-pound No. 1 on the planet right now. That's the guy I want to take out. To make sure that it's undeniable when I beat him, I'm the best welterweight on the planet and, arguably, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet."
Garry also expressed frustration with how long it took for the title fight to be made and spoke confidently about his impact on the division. "It's a fact, in my opinion, that when I'm the champion of the world, the welterweight division is better off," Garry said, adding that he believes the division is "the greatest it's ever been" and "the best division in this sport right now."
