The tension surrounding Ian Machado Garry never really fades—it only changes shape. One week, it’s about his personality; the next, it’s about his ambition outshining reality. The conversation has progressed to a more serious tone now. ‘The Future’ is not naming any contenders anymore. He’s calling his shot at the pinnacle of the division, and he’s doing so without irony.

Ian Machado Garry wasn’t scared as he watched Islam Makhachev completely demolish Jack Della Maddalena. Instead, it just sharpened him. In his opinion, that performance reinforced everything he needed to know: the Dagestani phenom is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. And that is exactly why ‘The Future’ wants him.

“There’s going to be no excuses from anyone on the planet,” Garry said in a video shared on his social media, laying it out in blunt terms. “When I beat him, I’ve beaten the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet right now. Your excuses are all finished.” The usual fallback arguments about size, weight class, and timings are the ones ‘The Future’ is preemptively shutting down.

“He’s a big dude. There’s no excuses. None whatsoever,” said the 28-year-old.

That insistence says a lot about how the number 3-ranked welterweight sees his place in the sport. He is not seeking validation through popularity or goodwill. He wants a win that demands recognition. One that leaves nowhere to hide. The irony is that this fight may not even be next.

Islam Makhachev has reportedly declined to defend his title in January, and Ian Machado Garry will most likely need one more win at 170 to secure a shot. But the sequence doesn’t seem to matter to him.

For ‘The Future,’ beating the reigning champion means more than just a title. It’s about settling all arguments at once. First be the champion, then the pound-for-pound king. By the end, no explanation will be required. But if you ask the man who handed Garry his only loss in MMA, the 31-year-old will have to wait in line.

Shavkat Rakhmonov shuts down Ian Machado Garry’s dreams

Ian Machado Garry’s outspoken confidence doesn’t exist in a vacuum. One name hangs over it, refusing to slip softly into the background. Shavkat Rakhmonov may be sidelined, but he hasn’t forgotten how their story began, and in his opinion, it already has an ending. Before Garry can discuss pound-for-pound crowns, there’s unfinished business he hasn’t resolved.

Rakhmonov put it clearly when he finally broke character online. ‘Nomad’ emphasized that Garry lost to him when he was injured, questioned Garry’s recent lack of finishes, and criticized the idea that résumé padding equals contender status. He wrote, “He hasn’t finished anyone in his last six fights, and Prates nearly stopped him. Doesn’t sound like a #1 contender to me.”

Timing is what’s crucial here. Ian Machado Garry has been active, visible, and vocal, whilst Shavkat Rakhmonov has been absent and healing. That contrast has shifted momentum but not memory. When the Kazakh fighter returns, whether in February or March, he carries with him a result that Garry can’t talk his way around.

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Titles and storylines can be negotiated, but wins remain important. Shavkat Rakhmonov is currently standing in the way, quietly arguing that the line still passes through him. So, it looks like ‘The Future’ will have to wait to fulfill his dreams of becoming a divisional and pound-for-pound king.