Machado Garry to face Makhachev for UFC title

Ian Machado Garry (right) has won 17 of his 18 professional fights [Getty Images]Ian Machado Garry is set to become the first Irishman since Conor McGregor to fight for a UFC title when he faces Islam Makhachev for the welterweight belt in Philadelphia on 15 August.

>The 28-year-old, who is first in the promotion's welterweight rankings, will attempt to thwart Russian Makhachev's first defence of his belt at UFC 330 at the XFinity Mobile Arena.

>Machado Garry, who has long been predicted to follow in McGregor's footsteps in becoming a UFC champion, last fought in November, beating former title holder Belal Muhammad.

>Since joining the UFC in 2021 after winning the welterweight belt in UK-based promotion Cage Warriors, he has won 10 of his 11 fights.

>Not since McGregor's defeat by Makhachev's coach Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 has an Irishman fought for a title in the UFC.

>Makhachev beat Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt last year to become a two-division champion after vacating the lightweight championship.

>A win over Machado Garry for the 34-year-old will see him break Anderson Silva's record 16-fight UFC win streak.

>Machado Garry has fought off competition from second-ranked Carlos Prates and third-ranked Michael Morales to secure the title shot.

>Brazil's Prates has knocked out his last three opponents, although lost to Machado Garry in April last year, while Ecuador's Morales has won all 19 of his fights.

>In 2024, Machado Garry lost a number one contender bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov but the Kazakh fighter has not fought since after struggling with injury.

>In February, he was removed from the UFC's welterweight rankings, which promoted Machado Garry.

>The last fighter from Ireland to compete for a belt in a major MMA promotion was Karl Moore when he lost a Bellator light-heavyweight title fight against Corey Anderson in 2024.

>In the co-main event in Philadelphia, American-Brazilian Mackenzie Dern will make the first defence of her strawweight title against Canada's Gillian Robertson.

>Dern, 33, beat Virna Jandiroba for the belt in October for her third straight victory, while 31-year-old Robertson comes into the bout on a five-fight win streak.

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