Islam Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez doesn’t know who’s next for his fighter, but if it’s Ian Machado Garry, he’s confident they have him beat in at least one department.
Garry is currently in a prime position to challenge Makhachev for the welterweight title, having recorded back-to-back wins since suffering his lone loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov at the end of 2024. The Irishman’s 2025 campaign saw him rebound with a decision win over top contender Carlos Prates and then outpoint former UFC champion Belal Muhammad. He is now firmly in the title picture alongside Rakhmonov, Kamaru Usman, and Michael Morales.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Mendez broke down how the Garry matchup could go, particularly if Makhachev manages to take him down.
“He does well with Islam on the standup because he’s rangy, he’s tricky, all those, but on the ground he does OK, but he doesn’t survive on the ground, I don’t think,” Mendez said. “OK, he might survive five rounds, but he won’t get the best of Islam on the ground. I’m 100 percent sure about that.
“In the standup, he’s pretty tricky, so one punch can change everything on that. One kick, one punch, one knee. So that’s a different story, but on the ground I don’t see him dominating. I see him surviving, possibly, I could see that, and then the takedown defense that he has is defense, but not great enough to stop Islam from taking him down.”
While Garry is known for his outstanding striking, he’s frequently boasted about his elite ground game as well. Makhachev has shown plenty of skill in all areas during a 16-fight win streak that has seen him capture UFC gold in two divisions, beating fellow all-world fighters like Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Jack Della Maddalena, among others.
Mendez warns that any opponent has to be prepared for Makhachev to mix the martial arts.
“Again, sometimes we’ll go in there and we’ll decide that we’re going to do this with Islam and next thing you know, next round we’ll say, ‘OK, take him down now’ or next round we’ll go stand up because he’s that good,” Mendez said. “So we’re not looking at going in any specific game plan for anybody because he’s good everywhere. He’s good everywhere.
“I’ve said it too many times and I think people should remember some of my past interviews and if they look at that then they go, ‘We’re not going to prepare for Ian Garry per se, we’re just prepared for an MMA fight and Islam is good everywhere, so he’ll practice everything.”
As of now, it’s unclear what the UFC has planned for Makhachev. He defeated Della Maddalena for the welterweight title in November and has watched as the contender line has shifted with Garry, Usman, Morales, and Carlos Prates all scoring important victories.
If it’s Garry who gets the call, Makhachev and Mendez are eager to solve that puzzle.
“I feel good about it,” Mendez said. “[Garry is] a well-known guy, he’s very highly skilled, and I look forward to the challenge. If that’s who they pick and that’s who Islam wants, no problem. Bring him on the plate. No problem, we’ll get ready for Ian Garry. But he’s good.
“He wanted Kamaru because he thought was the toughest stylistic challenge for him so I wanted that because that’s what he wanted, but he was good with Ian Garry or Topuria, too. He wanted a challenge, so those are the three that I know he stated that he wouldn’t mind fighting.”
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