Ian Machado Garry Escalates Push for Islam Makhachev Title Shot as Fight Is Reportedly Close

Reports say a title bout is close, pending Islam Makhachev’s planned return after Ramadan.

Overview

Ian Machado Garry publicly vowed to beat Islam Makhachev for welterweight gold and claim the sport’s pound-for-pound top spot.
Bloody Elbow reports a Garry–Makhachev title fight is reportedly very close, though no matchup has been officially announced.
Garry rose to No. 2 at 170 pounds after a unanimous-decision win over Belal Muhammad on Nov. 22 at UFC Qatar.
Makhachev is the reigning welterweight champion and consensus P4P No. 1 after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, extending his win streak to 16.
Makhachev’s camp said a short-notice January defense was discussed by the UFC, with names including Garry and Kamaru Usman, but the champion signaled a later return as the welterweight division stacks up with multiple contenders.