Machado Garry to face Makhachev for UFC title

Ian Machado Garry is set to become the first Irishman since Conor McGregor to fight for a UFC title when he faces Islam Makhachev for the welterweight belt in Philadelphia on 15 August.

The 28-year-old, who is first in the promotion’s welterweight rankings, will attempt to thwart Russian Makhachev’s first defence of his belt at UFC 330 at the XFinity Mobile Arena.

Machado Garry, who has long been predicted to follow in McGregor’s footsteps in becoming a UFC champion, last fought in November, beating former title holder Belal Muhammad.

Since joining the UFC in 2021 after winning the welterweight belt in UK-based promotion Cage Warriors, he has won 10 of his 11 fights.

Not since McGregor’s defeat by Makhachev’s coach Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 has an Irishman fought for a title in the UFC.

Makhachev beat Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt last year to become a two-division champion after vacating the lightweight championship.

A win over Machado Garry for the 34-year-old will see him break Anderson Silva’s record 16-fight UFC win streak.

Machado Garry has fought off competition from second-ranked Carlos Prates and third-ranked Michael Morales to secure the title shot.

Brazil’s Prates has knocked out his last three opponents, although lost to Machado Garry in April last year, while Ecuador’s Morales has won all 19 of his fights.

In 2024, Machado Garry lost a number one contender bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov but the Kazakh fighter has not fought since after struggling with injury.

In February, he was removed from the UFC’s welterweight rankings, which promoted Machado Garry.

The last fighter from Ireland to compete for a belt in a major MMA promotion was Karl Moore when he lost a Bellator light-heavyweight title fight against Corey Anderson in 2024.

In the co-main event in Philadelphia, American-Brazilian Mackenzie Dern will make the first defence of her strawweight title against Canada’s Gillian Robertson.

Dern, 33, beat Virna Jandiroba for the belt in October for her third straight victory, while 31-year-old Robertson comes into the bout on a five-fight win streak.