Ian Machado Garry questions Islam Makhachev injury timeline, Makhachev responds

Ian Machado Garry of Ireland punches Belal Muhammad of Palestine in a welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena (ABHA Arena) in Doha, Qatar, on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images

Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry have been doing plenty of talking outside of the cage, but we still don’t know if they’re going to meet inside of it anytime soon.

The latest exchange between the UFC welterweight champion and his would-be challenger took place on social media, with Garry putting up a post on Instagram in which he questioned why Makhachev is yet to book a title defense, and Makhachev responding via Twitter that he is “ready at any time.”

See the fighters’ comments below.

“First you say you have a hand injury,” Garry wrote. “Dana [White] said August, you’re saying July – I’ve been ready since you last turned me down in May. We’re all waiting on you, princess.”

In response, Makhachev wrote, “Don’t worry about my injuries. I’m ready at any time. I’m waiting for the contract.”

Makhachev—No. 1 on MMA Fighting’s Pound-for-Pound list—won the welterweight title with a dominant grappling performance against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this past November. Prior to that, Makhachev reigned as lightweight champion, defending that division’s title a UFC record four times before vacating the belt to move up to 170 pounds. UFC CEO Dana White previously confirmed that Makhachev’s absence was due to a hand injury, though he did not provide a concrete timetable for the fighter’s return.

With Makhachev awaiting his first welterweight title challenge, several contenders have made strong cases to be selected, including Garry, who defeated former champion Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar to improve his UFC record to 10-1.