TLDR
- Ian Machado Garry lost his welterweight title fight to Islam Makhachev by unanimous decision at UFC 330
- Makhachev set a UFC record with his 17th consecutive victory, surpassing Anderson Silva
- Garry said he’s ‘bulletproof in my mind’ and proud of his performance against the champion
- The loss is only the second in Garry’s 12 UFC fights after starting his career 15-0
- Garry confronted Michael Morales backstage about trash talk, telling him to ‘back it up’
Sources: mmafighting.com | themaclife.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Ian Machado Garry says he’s ready to move forward after losing his welterweight title fight to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Irish fighter posted a statement on Instagram following the unanimous decision loss.
“Tonight wasn’t my night,” Garry said. “I feel great, I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight and that’s OK.”
Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight title and made UFC history with his 17th consecutive victory. The win moved him past Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in company history.
Garry, 28, said he was proud of his performance against the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world. “I’m bulletproof in my mind,” he said in the video message.
“I just fought maybe the greatest fighter we’ve ever seen in this sport and I pushed him to the f*cking wire,” Garry added. “I’m so proud of myself and I’m so proud of my team.”
Second UFC Loss for Irish Welterweight
The defeat marks only the second loss in Garry’s 12 UFC appearances. He started his professional career with 15 straight wins, including his first eight fights in the UFC.
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
Garry’s first loss came against Shavkat Rakhmonov. He then won back-to-back decision victories over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates to earn his title shot against Makhachev.
In his Instagram post, Garry congratulated Makhachev and his team. “Your guys did amazing,” he said. “I have nothing but love and respect for everything you guys have done in this sport.”
Garry said he’s already looking ahead to his next fight. “There’s plenty of matchups in this sport, plenty of fun matchups that I’m excited for,” he said. “We’ll be back and we’ll be better than ever.”
Backstage Confrontation with Michael Morales
After the fight, Garry had a backstage encounter with undefeated welterweight Michael Morales. Morales was at the event as the official backup fighter for the main event.
Morales, who holds a 19-0 record with seven UFC wins, had previously talked trash about Garry in an interview. When asked if there was anyone he didn’t like in the division, Morales named Garry and said he talks too much.
Garry approached Morales backstage to address the comments. “All the sh*t you talk, it’s OK, make sure you back it up,” Garry told him.
The conversation remained mostly respectful. Garry praised Morales as a “good fighter” and told him to keep winning.
“You’ve got massive fights in this division,” Garry said. “You’ve got me, you’ve got Carlos Prates, you’ve got Islam.”
Garry also questioned a story Morales had told about a previous meeting between them. “I don’t know whatever story you made up about meeting me,” Garry said.
He encouraged the younger fighter to focus on his career. “Show up and fight,” Garry said. “You’re an animal. You’re strong.”
Morales hasn’t fought since knocking out Sean Brady in the first round at UFC 322 last November. The 27-year-old remains undefeated in his UFC career.
