In the co-main event of UFC Qatar, Ian Machado Garry (18-1) aimed for a dominant outing as he took on former UFC welterweight titleholder Belal Muhammad. The native of Portmarnock, Ireland, got the unanimous decision win, after all three judges scored the fight 30-27 (twice), and 29-28, in his favor. Although it remains questionable if his performance earned him a title shot against the undisputed UFC welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
It’s worth noting that Machado Garry stuffed seven takedown attempts from Muhammad, but didn’t land anything that put him into serious trouble, as he predicted that he would. “The Future” nonetheless improved to 10-1 since his UFC debut in 2021. As expected, Machado Garry wasted no time calling for his shot against Makhachev.
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Following his UFC Qatar win, we consider four potential opponents he may take on next, along with the 170-pound champion.
Michael Morales
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The undefeated Michael Morales dismantled Sean Brady with a first-round TKO win at UFC 322 on Nov. 15. Morales is 7-0 since he joined the promotion, and only two of those wins have gone the full distance. The Ecuadorian native has won three consecutive fights by first-round stoppage. Like Machado Garry, Morales is an uprising contender at welterweight, who is also after the championship title. Why not make their case against each other?
Shavkat Rakhmonov
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“Nomad” was previously on a tear and emerged as a serious threat at 170 pounds. Shavkat Rakhmonov had finished six consecutive opponents since his UFC debut in 2020. In his last outing, Rakhmonov defeated Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 310 in December 2024.
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The undefeated Uzbekistani was set to challenge the then undisputed UFC welterweight champion Muhammad in May. However, a knee injury has kept him out of action since then. It is possible that Rakhmonov can make his return in early 2026.
After a long layoff, it’s uncertain if he’ll get a title shot upon his return. Although a second meeting with Rakhmonov can give Machado Garry a shot at avenging his lone defeat.
Jack Della Maddalena
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“JDM” was defeated for the UFC welterweight title in a wide unanimous decision loss against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. As Della Maddalena seeks to bounce back and remain among the top competitors at 170 pounds, it is possible he can take on some of the rising contenders in the division.
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Despite his latest defeat, the Australian is still the No. 1-ranked welterweight. After Machado Garry defeated Muhammad, another win against a former champion like Della Maddalena can be noteworthy to his resume.
Islam Makhachev
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In his 170-pound debut, Islam Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 322. The former undisputed UFC lightweight champion claimed a world championship in a second weight class. He became the 11th two-division champion in UFC history. Machado Garry will likely move up within the top five at welterweight, as he defeated the previously No. 2-ranked Muhammad. It remains to be seen if he’ll get the first crack against the new 170-pound kingpin, but he is certainly not far off.
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