Ian Machado Garry Shrugs Off Critics Before UFC 330 Title Shot

Ian Machado Garry has spent this fight week annoying large chunks of the MMA fanbase, and by his own account, that's fine by him. On Saturday the Dubliner gets his first crack at a world title, challenging Islam Makhachev for the welterweight belt in the UFC 330 main event at Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena. It's the biggest night of his career against the best fighter on the planet.

Makhachev isn't just a champion — he's the UFC's current No. 1 pound-for-pound name, stacking wins toward an all-time-great résumé. He also took a shot at Garry this week, saying the challenger looks bad in his interviews and comes off like he's forcing the villain act. Garry, who caused a stir by suggesting women should run the world, told the Spinning Backfist MMA Show he genuinely doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Pantomime, Not Personal

Garry's point is that the sport thrives on theatre. He pointed to his win over Belal Muhammad in Qatar, where he walked out to boos — then, he says, the same crowd was chanting his name 30 seconds into the fight. He described the whole business as a pantomime and said the only opinions that matter to him belong to his young son and his wife, who'll be cageside if he wins.

That win over Muhammad carries weight. The former title challenger sits at No. 7 in the division with a 24-6 record, and beating him is exactly the kind of scalp that earns a shot at gold. Now Garry has to solve a puzzle nobody at 155 or 170 has cracked lately.

As for the game plan, Garry says he's flipped the usual script. Instead of obsessing over Makhachev's strengths, he claims this camp has been about maximizing his own — being the sharpest version of himself so he can frustrate and irritate the champion, and enjoy the process while he's at it. He insists he already knows Makhachev's route to victory and that it's simple to read.

The undercard has its own storylines. Veteran Edson Barboza, 24-14 with 14 knockouts, steps in for the 33rd time in the Octagon against Esteban Ribovics, coming off a first-round KO loss to Jalin Turner. But Saturday belongs to the man who's spent all week talking — and the champion who's tired of hearing it.