Ian Machado Garry Says He'd Beat Islam Makhachev in Immediate UFC Rematch
GOATIFYIan Machado Garry is not treating his UFC 330 loss to Islam Makhachev like proof that the gap between them is too wide to close.
Three weeks after dropping a unanimous decision to the UFC welterweight champion, Garry says the opposite. He believes that if the rematch happened immediately, he would win it.
The confidence comes from how competitive he felt the fight was, how well he believes his preparation worked, and how clearly he now sees the adjustments he would make. Garry has acknowledged that Makhachev deserved the victory, but he does not see the result as a reason to change his long-term belief that he can become champion.
His biggest criticism of his own performance is simple: he needed more output. Garry believes more volume, more kicks and more intent behind his striking could have changed the fight. He also wants to return as quickly as possible rather than spend months waiting for the perfect matchup.
Garry Says an Immediate Rematch Would End Differently
Garry has been clear that he is disappointed by the result without being discouraged by it.
He has spoken positively about his preparation and the work his team did before UFC 330. That matters because his confidence is not based on pretending the fight went his way. Makhachev won on all three scorecards, and Garry has accepted that.
What he rejects is the idea that the loss showed Makhachev is untouchable.
Garry believes the biggest change would be offensive volume. He felt there were too many moments when he respected the champion's counters and wrestling enough to reduce his own output. Against a fighter as complete as Makhachev, that caution can turn into lost minutes and lost rounds.
The Irish contender thinks he needed to attack more often with kicks, throw with more purpose to the head and generally create more damage instead of waiting for the perfect opening.
That belief is why he is talking about the rematch so aggressively. Garry does not sound like a fighter asking for years to rebuild. He sounds like someone who thinks the correct adjustments are already obvious.
UFC 330 Showed Why Makhachev Is Still the Champion
Confidence in a rematch does not change what happened the first time.
Makhachev won the fight by scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. He also extended his UFC winning streak to 17, moving beyond Anderson Silva's previous record and strengthening his position as one of the most accomplished active fighters in the sport.
The champion made his strongest early statement in the second round, when a head kick dropped Garry and immediately forced the challenger into survival mode. Makhachev followed with grappling control and ground offense, creating the clearest momentum swing of the fight.
Garry recovered well. He had better stretches in the middle rounds, used his reach and kicking game more effectively and made Makhachev work harder than many previous opponents. He also defended and reversed several grappling positions well enough to keep the fight competitive.
But Makhachev still found the decisive moments. In the fifth round, he secured another takedown, took Garry's back and controlled the closing stretch of the championship fight. That sequence helped remove doubt about the result.
That is the challenge Garry is trying to solve. He can point to stretches where his striking and size created problems, but Makhachev repeatedly found ways to win the moments that mattered most.
Dana White's Criticism Matches Garry's Own Biggest Regret
One of the biggest criticisms after UFC 330 was that Garry never fully forced the fight into the kind of uncomfortable pace that might have produced an upset.
UFC CEO Dana White questioned the level of aggression Garry showed, particularly the lack of urgency to hurt Makhachev when openings appeared.
Garry's own assessment is not far from that criticism.
He believes he should have thrown more often and with more venom. That does not necessarily mean reckless pressure. Against Makhachev, reckless entries can become takedowns. The adjustment Garry is describing is more about trusting his striking and taking calculated risks sooner.
His best moments at UFC 330 came when he was active enough to make Makhachev react. Body kicks, long straight punches and range attacks gave the champion problems. The issue was maintaining that offense without allowing Makhachev's wrestling to dictate the next exchange.
That is why a rematch would still be fascinating even after a clear official result. Garry already knows he can survive difficult grappling sequences and remain competitive over five rounds. The unanswered question is whether he can increase his offense without giving Makhachev easier entries.
Garry appears convinced that he can.
Garry Wants to Return Immediately and Stay in the Title Hunt
The more realistic part of Garry's plan is not an immediate second fight with Makhachev. It is an immediate return to competition.
Garry says he wants to fight again as soon as physically possible and is waiting for the UFC to call. He is not asking for a long recovery period or a carefully selected opponent.
That approach makes sense if his goal is another title shot.
The welterweight division is crowded, and Makhachev remains champion after one of the most important wins of his career. Garry is unlikely to receive an instant rematch after losing a decision, so the fastest path back is activity.
One strong win over another top contender could keep him close to the title conversation. Two could make a rematch much easier to justify, particularly if Makhachev remains champion.
Garry is still only 28 and has already fought for a UFC championship. Before losing to Makhachev, he had earned his opportunity with major victories over Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates. The defeat did not erase that work.
What changes now is the burden of proof. Garry has already shown he can compete with Makhachev. To earn another chance, he needs to show that the version of himself he describes—more aggressive, more active and more dangerous—is real.
For now, Garry's message is straightforward. He believes he knows what went wrong, he believes he can fix it, and he wants the shortest possible route back into the Octagon.
