With UFC 330 just days away, Ian Garry has already set the stage by hinting at a possible rematch, while Islam Makhachev vows to humble him in Philadelphia.

At media day, Garry was asked if one win over the Dagestani would be enough to cement his legacy. He replied that he’d welcome a rematch if the fight is competitive, but not if he scores a quick finish.

“I think let’s focus on beating him once, and then we can focus on beating him twice,” Garry said. “Does that make sense? But it all depends on the fashion. That’s if I go out there and I scalp him in two minutes, do you want to see me fight him again straight away? Do you know what I mean? That’s just the way it is. If we have a back-and-forth war, like he had with Volkanovski, then it probably would warrant a rematch.”  

Garry’s point was clear. If the fight is razor‑close, the UFC may have little choice but to book a second bout. He’s shown this mindset before, demanding a rematch with Shavkat Rakhmonov after a split‑decision loss at UFC 310. He also cited Alexander Volkanovski’s two fights with Makhachev as proof that competitiveness drives rematches.

At UFC 284, Volkanovski entered as an underdog but won two rounds, proving Makhachev beatable before dropping a unanimous decision. When Charles Oliveira got injured two-weeks before the fight, Volkanovski replaced him for a rematch at UFC 294, where Makhachev knocked out Volkanovski with a head kick. Had the second fight been close, a trilogy might have followed.

So for Garry, the path to a rematch is simple. He needs to push Makhachev harder than most. Only Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier have truly tested the champion so far.

Islam Makhachev Wants to Make Ian Garry “Humble” at UFC 330

Makhachev, however, sees things differently. He believes Garry is overconfident and in for a lesson.

“Sure, he has the same style in every fight,” Makhachev said at UFC 330 media day. “He just runs it back and works for the points. I don’t remember when he finished someone last time…. I think he’s a good person, a good guy, but he acts like he’s a bad boy, something like this. But I said in the interview also, we’ll make him humble, we’ll make him a good.” 

Oddsmakers back the champ, keeping him at ‑340, while Garry sits at +270. Still, Garry’s length and striking angles could pose problems—if he can survive Makhachev’s suffocating ground game.

With hype building, UFC 330 heads to Philadelphia. Whether Garry earns a rematch or Makhachev enforces humility will depend entirely on how the main event unfolds.