Newly-crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena has been strongly linked with a first title defence against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who is vacating the 155-pound championship in order to move up and challenge for the 170-pound crown.
But, if there are any issues that prevent that matchup from taking place next, Machado Garry said he’s ready to step in and take his shot at championship gold.
“One hundred percent. I’m in the conversation for a shot at Jack Della Maddalena next,” he told Covers.com.
“There’s not a bigger name that you can mention in the division right now other than mine – you can put anyone else in there but the argument is there that I am the biggest draw, and if you put whoever versus me for the world title, it would be the biggest fight.”
While Machado Garry is happy to throw his hat in the ring to face Della Maddalena next, he’s realistic enough to know that the prevailing winds are heading towards a Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight later this year.
It’s a matchup that Machado Garry himself is excited to see play out, and he said that Makhachev won’t have it his own way when he moves up to a bigger weight class.
“Size matters, and when you’re giving up an extra 15 pounds to move up a division – yes, Islam Makhachev is big and yes, Islam is strong, and we know that he walks around more than 155.
“We know he probably walks around probably 180-190 – but Jack is just a bigger human, and I watch [Islam’s] fights with Alex Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier, and I see those fights, yes, Islam looked great, and Islam did what he needed to do. But Jack is a bigger man. He hits harder. Everything stings more.
“I believe the size discrepancy will be important. That’s the biggest factor. Does Islam consistently take guys of that size and stature down and hold them down? How does his strength versus Jack’s strength match up? Stylistically, the fight’s phenomenal. Is Islam big enough to be a welterweight when you look at him compared to Jack? Let’s find out.”
If that fight does come to fruition, Machado Garry will need to face another welterweight contender to position himself to potentially be in line to face the winner, and the natural next option would be for him to face Philadelphia grappler Sean Brady, who is coming off a dominant performance to defeat former champion Leon Edwards in London earlier this year.
It’s a fight that, on paper at least, would look like a title eliminator contest, and it’s one that Machado Garry would be more than happy to take on.
“It’s the fight that he [Brady] wants and it’s not a hard fight to organize,” he said.
“The truth is, it’s more about what does the UFC want? They’re the brand, they put on the fights and if they want to see me fight anyone they know they’re getting a ‘yes’.
“I’m someone who will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. And, for example, Sean Brady, it’s not a hard fight to organize. It’s just whether the UFC wants it or not.”
