While Ian Machado Garry wasn't part of Saturday's UFC Fight Night, his name still popped up while the media spoke with CEO Dana White about his previous critical remarks. Those remarks arrived after Machado Garry's loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 a few weekends ago, in which Makhachev's UFC Welterweight Championship was on the line. The main criticism from White, Makhachev, and others was basically that Machado Garry was too nice to opponents rather than turning up the aggression to defeat them.
White didn't back down when it came to what he previously said, although he clarified the words a reporter used when asking him a question after Fight Night. The individual mentioned White previously saying he "would've liked Ian to go out and annihilate [Makhachev] in the fifth round." "I didn't say I'd like for him to do that. What I said was, you know, you get this opportunity; you've worked your whole life to get there," he said.
"I thought Ian Garry did good work leading up to the fifth round, assuming that was the game plan [from his first four rounds], and you want to come out and start hugging and shaking hands," White said after Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. More news: Mackenzie Dern Reveals Plans for Her Next Fight After UFC 330 Win "Tell him how great he is when they’re putting the [expletive] belt on you. Ian might never have that opportunity again and probably will never get the opportunity to fight Islam again," White said.
"I’m not [expletive] on Ian. He’s a classy guy, but be a nice guy when those five minutes are up. You have five minutes to finish one of the greatest of all time," the UFC head honcho said.
Makhachev won the fight via unanimous decision to retain his UFC Welterweight Championship, and had agreed with White's assessment of Machado Garry after UFC 330. Despite the criticism, Machado Garry continues to draw praise as a skilled MMA fighter. Across 19 fights, he has 17 wins and only two losses, including falling to Makhachev, who is among the best of the best.
Currently, UFC's Meta rankings show Machado Garry as No. 2 overall among welterweight fighters, with Carlos Prates above him. While White didn't say he would not give Machado Garry future title shots, he was suggesting that he had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to defeat Makhachev and didn't take full advantage. And interestingly enough, Machado Garry has defeated Prates via unanimous decision at the UFC on ESPN event in April 2025, suggesting Machado Garry might deserve another shot at the champion down the road.
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