The dust had barely settled in Qatar when Ian Machado Garry began calling for the fight he believes he has already earned. A clean sweep on the scorecards. Zero takedowns surrendered. A former welterweight champion stifled at every turn. On paper, few statements are louder than a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 win over Belal Muhammad.

Yet as Garry stood centre cage, demanding Islam Makhachev “sign the contract,” the MMA world’s attention seemed to tilt in a different direction. Why was the Irishman not the name trending next to the former lightweight king’s first title defence at 170? And how did a former two-division champion suddenly steer the conversation?

Henry Cejudo picks Kamaru Usman instead of Ian Garry for a welterweight title shot

The answer arrived on X, blunt, bold, and disruptive. Henry ‘Triple C’ Cejudo, never one to whisper when he can spark chaos, posted, “Kamaru Usman vs Islam Makhachev is officially the fight to make! Pound-for-Pound King vs Former Pound-for-Pound King! #UFCQatar.” With one sentence, Cejudo shifted the spotlight from Garry’s breakthrough win to a matchup built on legacy rather than rankings. But should the UFC really overlook the man who just dominated their former champion? Or does star power still rule the road to a championship?

Ian Garry certainly didn’t see it that way. Fresh off his victory, he delivered a message aimed directly at Makhachev. He reminded fans that Belal Muhammad “didn’t surprise me at all,” praising the ex-champ’s toughness but insisting he proved a point.

He stressed, “Belal couldn’t take me down, Islam [Makhachev] you try to take me down. I’m the best in the world. You come into my division and you show up wherever you want in the world and I’ll be there. You’re done. Sign the contract and I will see you soon.”

Even in a fight built on small moments, a leg kick that toppled Muhammad, a well-timed elbow in the clinch, a series of exchanges where speed and precision saved Garry from pressure, the through-line was clear: he believes he is ready for the division’s new ruler. And after two straight wins, including his shutdown of Carlos Prates, it’s difficult to ignore how rapidly he has closed the gap.

Still, the sport doesn’t always reward momentum. Sometimes it rewards nostalgia. Enter Kamaru Usman, the former pound-for-pound No. 1, one of the most dominant welterweights in UFC history, and a man who has also never been shy about chasing greatness in higher weight classes when he took on Khamzat Chimaev on short notice.

Henry Cejudo’s pitch wasn’t random; it was strategic. Makhachev vs. Usman isn’t about rankings. It’s about headlines. A modern champion vs. a former king. But is that enough to leapfrog the contender who keeps calling his shot? And more importantly, what does it say about the division’s direction?

Looking back at Garry’s performance in Qatar, the case for him is stronger than the noise suggests. Muhammad connected early, a few sharp right hands and a flurry inside the pocket but the Irishman adjusted like a fighter beyond his years. He jabbed, chopped at the legs, and neutralised Muhammad’s wrestling despite deep entries on multiple attempts.

Across fifteen minutes, Ian Garry fought with the confidence of a man who expected takedowns but never feared them. Isn’t that exactly the test fans want to see against Makhachev? In fact, he had already laid out his thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s future before UFC Qatar!

‘The Future’ blasts “no knees” Usman as he pushes back against his title shot

So what did Garry really think about Kamaru Usman’s sudden push for a title shot? Well, long before UFC Qatar, he had already made his stance crystal clear, and he didn’t sugarcoat a single word. Instead of praising Usman’s rebound from a three-fight skid, Garry questioned whether a single win over Joaquin Buckley should launch the former king back into title contention.

At a media scrum, ‘The Future’ explained, “Where is he now in the rankings? Eight or nine? The last fight he had was against a guy who had like seven losses in the UFC? No. Islam Makhachev is a phenomenal fighter, and he needs to fight one of the young, up-and-coming contenders, not a has-been who has no knees.”

If you’re defending a new belt at welterweight, Garry asked, shouldn’t the challenger be someone climbing up, not sliding down? And yes, he even acknowledged the temptation. From Islam Makhachev’s perspective, he admitted it would be, “If I was Islam, I would want to fight Kamaru Usman, too because it’s an easy paycheck.”

But the Irishman pushed back hard against the idea that easy is acceptable. Instead, he grouped himself with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Carlos Prates, and Michael Morales — fighters who, as Garry put it, are “long, tall, rangy, powerful, and full of youth.”

As fans wait for the UFC to make its choice, the question becomes simple: will the next welterweight title challenger be chosen by the rankings, by the past, or by whoever shouts the loudest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!