Ian Machado Garry is one step closer to earning a welterweight title shot.
The rising contender defeated former 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night event Saturday in Qatar.
It was Muhammad’s first fight since his May championship loss to Jack Della Maddalena, who recently lost the title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322.
Machado Garry landed more significant strikes in each round and defended all seven of Muhammad’s takedown attempts in the three-round bout.
The 28-year-old from Ireland has won two in a row since a five-round decision loss to undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 late in 2024 — a matchup Machado Garry accepted on less than a month’s notice.
After the win, Machado Garry said he should be next in line to fight for the title and challenged Makhachev, who was in attendance helping coach some of his teammates, to accept the matchup.
Machado Garry was coming off an April win over Carlos Prates, who just jumped up the rankings thanks to his UFC 322 knockout of former champ Leon Edwards.
Muhammad, 37, is now on the first two-fight losing streak of his professional career and it will be difficult for him to get back into the title picture until he strings together multiple wins.
The action was paused in the opening minute of the bout when Machado Garry inadvertently poked Muhammad in the eye during a punching exchange, and again in the second round. Muhammad infamously had a 2021 fight with Leon Edwards stopped early when he was poked in the eye and sustained an injury that rendered him unable to see.
Overall, Machado Garry used his significant height and reach advantage to find a home for his jab and land combinations, opening up a cut on Muhammad’s left cheek.
Muhammad was the No. 2-ranked contender at welterweight and Machado Garry sat at No. 6 prior to Saturday’s fight at Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena.
Michael Morales, former champion Kamaru Usman, Prates and Rakhmonov — who was also in attendance watching the event — are others currently in the mix at 170 pounds. Rakhmonov has not fought since beating Machado Garry due to a knee injury.
