Islam Makhachev’s welterweight move was anticipated to lead to a major first defense, and Team Khabib immediately mentioned Kamaru Usman as the “dream” contender. At first glance, it looked like a fight for the ages: current champion vs. former champion, lightweight GOAT vs. a welterweight GOAT contender. The fact that the two fighters share the same manager made it look all the more probable. But that’s just it. It was too good to be true, and welterweight contender Ian Garry is making sure of it.

After the UFC Qatar card, where Ian Garry dismantled the No. 2 welterweight contender, the conversation around title contention now includes fresh voices and new possibilities, adding extra pressure to any matchmaking. When Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of both Kamaru Usman and Islam, began openly promoting the idea of a Usman and Makhachev fight, Garry was not just annoyed; he was offended.

He made his stance crystal clear on X: “The idea that Usman could have a title shot above me comes only from his agent and him. Literally no one else is giving this any time. One win since 2021 is shocking. Not gonna happen. Not on my watch.”

After stuffing most of Belal Muhammad’s takedowns in his recent fight, Garry reinforced his challenge inside the cage: “Belal couldn’t take me down, so Islam, you try to take me down.” His rise to the No. 2 spot in the welterweight division and repeated calls to face Makhachev have made him a formidable voice in the title discussion. If his defeat of Belal “Remember the Name” Muhammad hadn’t already given weight to his words, he has certainly used the moment to maximum effect.

Garry did not stop there. He took it a step further by dismissing Kamaru Usman as ‘irrelevant’ in the title contention today and challenging the competition play coming from Makhachev’s camp.

“I think Khabib and that whole fight team know how to spin the wording to build a fight. But there’s no interest; no fan wants to see that fight. They wanna see him versus me. They want to see him versus Shavkat [Rakhmonov]. Fans want to see Islam versus [Carlos] Prates and [Michael] Morales. They wanna see the new generation of this welterweight division.”

The more the discussion goes on, the more vulnerable Usman’s case seems. Just one victory in the past four years is a very different story compared to the present-day buzz of the division, and although Makhachev’s team keeps on speaking highly of Usman’s glorious reign, 15 uninterrupted wins, and a period that influenced an era, he simply might be a thing of the past.

The future of 170 has arrived, and he’s refusing to let anyone from the old guard slide into opportunities meant for the new wave.

Islam Makhachev’s manager doubles down on Usman fight despite fan backlash

With all the chaos in the title picture, the first step for Islam Makhachev in the welterweight division has not yet been announced. Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of both Makhachev and ex-champion Kamaru Usman, elevates this one fight above all others. Even though the suggestion has been greeted with a massive wave of criticism from fans, he still refuses to give up on the idea that Usman should be the first title challenger for Islam at 170. 

Abdelaziz stated that Usman’s legacy is more important than any recent streak in the division. According to him, the years of ruling over the division, title defenses, and the 15-fight run at welterweight are still more powerful than the rise of the contenders’ momentum, especially Garry’s.

“The least deserving one is Ian [Machado] Garry,” Abdelaziz remarked to MMA Junkie. “I’m really saying this because he does not have the signature performance, and it is not like everybody is saying, ‘Wow, I really want to see this fight.’ But then again, all these guys have dreams. They want to fight for the title. I can’t blame him.”

Abdelaziz even went so far as to claim that Usman would outscore Garry over five rounds, and that Garry would not even last two rounds with Makhachev. However, with the new wave of contenders rising so quickly, this argument is nowhere close to being settled, and the burden on the UFC matchmakers is constantly increasing.