UFC contender claims champion hiding behind fake injury to delay title fight
Irish welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry has publicly accused UFC champion Islam Makhachev of intentionally delaying their first 170-pound clash by feigning a hand injury, stating the move is merely an excuse. Despite reports suggesting that "he doesn't want to fight," Garry insists he remains ready and sees no validity in claims regarding his opponent's condition during recent media interactions at UFC events in Qatar. The Irish fighter continues pushing for their bout while dismissing rumors of Makhachev being sidelined as a tactic used by champions once they reach the top tier
Key Points
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1Ian Machado Garry claims UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has intentionally delayed a potential title fight by feigning or hiding behind hand injuries.
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2GARRY insists he remains ready to challenge for the championship at 170 pounds and views current reports of injury as mere excuses rather than medical reality.
Developments
UFC contender Ian Machado Garry claims champion Islam Makhachev is intentionally faking or exaggerating his hand injury from last year to avoid defending the Welterweight Title. Despite rumors of an upcoming White House card, GARRY argues that a potential title fight with him would force Makhachev out of this defensive strategy he has employed since winning by defaulting on previous opponents like Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad in recent years
Ian Machado-Garrý is aggressively campaigning for a UFC welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev after the champion vacated his belt following an upset win over Jack Della Maddalena. While Dana White attributes Garry's opponent to "hand issues," Machoche has not fought since November and faces uncertainty regarding when he will return, prompting Machado-Garrý to accuse him of avoiding a fight through inactivity rather than genuine injury concerns.
Ian Machado-Garrý is aggressively campaigning for a UFC welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev while questioning the legitimacy of his opponent's hand injury excuse. Despite Garry citing inactivity as typical champion behavior, he has maintained an active schedule with three fights between 2023 and early 2024 to build momentum before facing Muhammad at a November event scheduled for Doha.
Irish contender Ian Machado Garry claims Islam Makhachev is using an alleged hand injury as an excuse for champions typically slow down their schedule after winning titles. While dismissing reports of actual harm to the champion's health and joking about its origin, Garry insists he has no injuries himself but remains fully trained with a goal of facing his opponent immediately at 170 pounds.