RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesEddie Hearn believes that Ian Machado Garry is one win from being “arguably the biggest name in the UFC ”.
On 15 August, Machado Garry will challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title, as the pair headline UFC 330 in Philadelphia .
The bout represents a stern test for the Irish challenger, 28, as he takes on the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1 fighter . Yet it may also be a tricky outing for Makhachev, 34, given Machado Garry has lost just once as a professional – a narrow points defeat by Shavkat Rakhmonov in late 2024.
UFC welterweight-title challenger Ian Machado Garry (Getty)
Boxing promoter Hearn signed Machado Garry to Matchroom Talent Agency in June, after setting up the business in March and signing UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in a shock move.
And discussing the difference between working with Aspinall and Machado Garry, Hearn told The Independent on Thursday: “I think the great thing about management is the ability to deal with different personalities and characters. You need to know how to deal with people, right?
“So, Tom went through a really tough time with the [eye] injury , and I feel like – mentally – he was in a really poor place when we signed him.
“With Ian, he is one of the most mentally-assured and confident people I’ve ever met. So much so that, when I sat down with him and talked about the Islam fight... Now, I’m not a UFC guy or an MMA guy – I watch it, but I can’t tell you who’s gonna win a fight – but I’m like: ‘He’s f***ing winning.’
“I know it doesn’t work like that always, because I work in combat sport and I know that just being confident’s not always enough, but I know that he’s a great fighter, and I just believe in him.
“He’s a little bit outspoken, he’s very focused on what he wants to do and the way that’s going to do it, and he doesn’t really care about the noise from the outside.
Eddie Hearn (left) promotes Anthony Joshua among others in the boxing world (Getty)
“And I think that he’s got the kind of personality that, if he wins this fight, he becomes a superstar – and he becomes arguably the biggest name in the UFC.”
Machado Garry has ruffled the feathers of many fans since joining the UFC in 2021, but he has built a 10-1 record since his arrival, and he bounced back from his sole defeat with two straight points wins.
The first, in April 2025, came against Carlos Prates, before November brought a victory over former champion Belal Muhammad.
Islam Makhachev is a two-weight UFC champion (Getty)
Against Makhachev, however, Machado Garry faces a greater task. The Russian is 28-1 as a pro and is riding a 16-fight win streak that dates back to 2015.
Last time out, in November, Makhachev dominated and outpointed Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight belt, having given up the lightweight title earlier in the year. He did so after winning a record-breaking four title defences at 155lb.
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