Ian Machado Garry can see the comparison being made with his upcoming title fight to Conor McGregor’s game-changing win over Jose Aldo.
Garry is set to challenge for UFC gold for the first time on Aug. 15. “The Future” will be meeting welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev inside the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Garry had long pounded the table for a crack at the 170-pound title, and wins over Belal Muhammad, Carlos Prates, and Michael Page earned him the shot.
Makhachev is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the UFC roster, and he hasn’t suffered a loss since 2015. He is a surefire future Hall of Famer and has held gold in two weight classes. Garry, a rising Irish star, is aware that some have compared his ascension leading up to UFC 330 to McGregor’s road to knocking Aldo out in a matter of seconds back in late 2015.
In an interview with High Performance, Garry discussed the parallels, and he doesn’t necessarily disagree (via Red Corner MMA).
Ian Garry says Islam Makhachev being the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter reminds him of Conor McGregor’s title-winning moment against Jose Aldo
“I’ve had a lot of pressure from the outside world, from the fans and the sport itself, to be the star and hype that Conor McGregor set.… pic.twitter.com/LzEqpYDIMa
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 19, 2026
“I’ve had a lot of pressure from the outside world, from the fans and the sport itself, to be the star and hype that Conor McGregor set. I’ve had a lot of comparisons to Conor due to the fact that we’re both from Ireland.
When Conor fought for his first UFC title, he fought the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, who hadn’t been beaten in a decade, and he knocked him out in 13 seconds. My next opponent is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.”
Going into UFC 330, Garry hovers around at +280 as the underdog. McGregor was actually a slight betting favorite before his career-defining moment against Aldo. The deck is certainly stacked against Garry, but he isn’t short on confidence.
What chance do you give Ian Machado Garry of overcoming the odds against Islam Makhachev? Join the conversation in the comments below.
