On April 26, Ian Machado Garry will look to return to the win column when he faces a surging welterweight contender.
The Irishman has proven in the past that he’s willing to take on the biggest challenges available having accepted his bout in Kansas City before he knew who the opponent was.
This Saturday sees ‘The Future’ take on Brazil’s Carlos Prates in a clash of two of the division’s most exciting strikers who have breathed new life into the rankings in recent times.
Garry has been criticized in the past in regards to his current status in the division but he’s certainly been targeting the very top names for some time.
The 27-year-old has been unable to secure a matchup with any of the former champions that are still around at 170-pounds and he now believes that they’re being replaced.
Ian Machado Garry blasts Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, says they’re being replaced
In 2024, Ian Machado Garry was very outspoken about wanting to fight the likes of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington who are still big names in the division that hold high rankings despite their recent form.
Neither man would sign on the dotted line which eventually led him to facing Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303 before he stepped in on late notice to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov this past December.
Whilst the old guard are still around, the likes of Machado Garry and Carlos Prates represent the new wave of top welterweights who are starting to fill out the top 15.
Ahead of his return in Kansas City, the Irishman spoke about this during a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri where he criticized the division’s veterans for trying to stay relevant without competing.
“We’re getting out with the old and in with the new. We’re getting rid of these people that are just trying to stay relevant like Kamaru and Colby, just trying to maintain relevancy by just talking on podcasts and trying to slag off Paddy Pimblett. That’s all they are now. They don’t want to fight. They’re not fighters anymore, they’re done.
Whilst he doesn’t put them into the same box as Usman and Covington, Machado Garry also mentioned several other top names who might be aging out of the top of the division with new names taking their spots.
“You’ve got people like Leon (Edwards), and I f—— hate to say this but Gilbert (Burns), who just haven’t had the best run lately, and you’ve got these young, hungry killers coming up. The likes of me, Prates, (Michael) Morales, Sean Brady, Shavkat (Rakhmonov), Jack (Della Maddalena), and you’re just seeing what the welterweight division is turning into for the next decade because these guys, they’re going to be around for a long time. They’re all talented everywhere.”
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The new era of welterweight is already underway
When you look at the top 10 of the welterweight division, five of the top contenders are what you would consider the new era of elite mixed martial artists.
Where Ian Machado Garry has become frustrated in the past is that for many of them, they need to beat one of the old guard in order to really make this case.
Whether it’s Joaquin Buckley stopping Colby Covington, Jack Della Maddalena rallying against Gilbert Burns or Sean Brady submitting Leon Edwards, all three of them were statement wins but for whatever reason, these matchups have eluded ‘The Future’.
Carlos Prates is another name that is looking to join that group so whilst he might not be the biggest name that Machado Garry could’ve been paired with, it’s a win that will likely age well with both men being in and around the rankings for many years to come.