Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry remained defiant and proud after falling short in his first UFC title challenge, insisting he will return stronger following a unanimous decision loss to welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in the early hours of Sunday.
Addressing supporters shortly after the judges rendered scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in Makhachev’s favour, the 28-year-old Dublin native was quick to give credit to the reigning pound-for-pound champion without making any excuses for the setback.
“Tonight wasn’t my night. I feel great; I did great. Islam was just better than me tonight, and that’s okay,” Garry said. “I want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do better to know that I’m going to be back. I’m not disheartened by this. I’m bulletproof in my mind.”
Ian Garry spoke after the loss to Islam Makhachev:
“Tonight wasn’t my night. Islam was just better than me tonight and that’s okay.
I just fought arguably the greatest fighter we’ve ever seen, and I pushed him to the f*cking wire. I’m so proud of myself.”
(via @iangarryMMA) pic.twitter.com/UU25kqNsAF
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 16, 2026
The challenger emphasised the magnitude of the test he had just faced across 25 gruelling minutes: ‘I’ll be back. I’m 28 years of age. I just fought arguably the greatest fighter we’ve ever seen in this sport, and I pushed him to the wire. I’m so proud of myself, and I’m so proud of my team.”
“Nobody’s stopping me. Nobody’s stopping me.”
Makhachev relied on his suffocating wrestling from the opening bell, grounding Garry with an early takedown and dropping him with a damaging head kick in the second round.
Garry showed composure to survive the danger, finding his striking rhythm in the middle frames with punishing kicks to Makhachev’s body and lead leg. However, the champion’s relentless top control in the championship rounds proved decisive, cementing Makhachev’s record-breaking 17th consecutive UFC victory.
What lies ahead for the Irish contender?
Despite dropping to a 17-2 professional record, Garry was full of praise for the Russian camp and expressed gratitude to his coaching staff at Chute Boxe, signalling that his championship ambitions remain well within reach.
“Islam, your team, congratulations. You guys did amazing. I have nothing but love and respect for everything you guys have done in this sport,” Garry added. “There are plenty of fun matchups that I’m excited for. We’ll be back, and we’ll be better than ever.”
