Ian Garry Looms as Makhachev Starts August Camp

Islam Makhachev has already moved into camp for his next fight, and ian garry is the name now tied to the matchup. The UFC welterweight champion said the opponent is known verbally, even though there are no signed contracts yet.

He also said he has started his basic stage of preparation. Dana White has said the plan is to have Makhachev fight in August, which puts a return window on a title defense that could shape the division's next stretch.

Makhachev and Garry Link

Ariel Helwani and Álvaro Colmenero reported that the UFC is hoping to book Makhachev against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330. That event is expected to mark the promotion's long-awaited return to Philadelphia, PA, and it would give the champion a fresh title defense after winning the welterweight belt at UFC 322.

Garry comes in at #2 in the official UFC welterweight rankings. He last fought in November, when he beat Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision, and he also defeated Carlos Prates in April.

Garry's Path to the Shot

That April result carries extra weight because Prates later put together knockout wins over Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards. Garry's only career loss came at UFC 310 against Shavkat Rakhmonov, a setback that still sits alongside the wins that pushed him into title contention.

Rakhmonov was later removed from the UFC rankings because of knee surgery, which changes the immediate shape of the welterweight picture around the champion. With Garry at #2 and Makhachev already starting basic preparation, the August target has turned a verbal agreement into the clearest route toward the next title fight.

August on the Table

Makhachev's own wording leaves one layer of uncertainty off the page: the fight is not signed yet, but his camp has started. That is where the division stands now, with the champion preparing for a possible defense and Garry positioned as the name most directly attached to it.