UFC Kansas City: Machado Garry vs Prates provided an incredibly important matchup for the outlook of the welterweight division, with #7 ranked, Ian Garry, taking on the surging #13 ranked Brazilian, Carlos Prates. What followed was an intriguing, technical 25 minute matchup resulting in Garry getting his hand raised. The question is, what should be next for the winner?
Whilst Garry seems determined to be next in line for the title shot at 170, most feel as though this is a little presumptuous and underserved. Despite his impressive showing in Kansas, on short notice I might add, it lacked the statement finish many fans felt he needed to warrant a title claim, especially after coming up short in his previous fight, also on short notice, vs the undefeated, Shavkat Rakhmonov. So, what else is on the table? To me, there are 3 potential fights, each with convincing arguments both for and against.
Option 1 – “The Buck”: Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin Buckley is on a tear at 170, riding a 6-fight win streak since moving down from 185. With each performance, he has looked hungrier, more confident and more accomplished within his abilities, leading to an immense amount of hype from fans. His social media game has only helped to further his hype, with months of back and forth between him and the aforementioned Garry taking place. All of this has resulted in a main event spot for “The Buck” at UFC Atlanta on June 14th vs Kamaru Usman. A win over a former champion would surely see him in line for a number one contender’s fight and who else better to share that privilege with him than Garry? Bad blood, great mic skills and a shared ability to back it up in the cage make this an enticing prospect for UFC fans. Buckley seems the perfect matchup for Garry, with his high-pressure, in-your-face style of fighting seemingly being the perfect kryptonite for Garry’s technical shield of armour.
However, this is all assuming Buckley can get through the immense challenge of Usman in such a high-pressure spot for him. If not, then Garry will have to look elsewhere for his next challenge, leading us to option 2.
Option 2 – “Rocky”: Leon Edwards
Now, this fight may not carry the hype it once would have following Edwards’ frankly abysmal showing vs Sean Brady at UFC London earlier this year. However, there is still a very good argument for this being the right fight for Garry. Not only is Edwards a former champion, something Garry has yet to face, but he is also ranked #3 in the division. There has also been some previous dislike between the 2 fighters, with Garry claiming Edwards “quits when the going gets tough” in fights. Well, why not put this to the test in what could be the headline fight of a future UK card, Ireland vs England? Surging contender vs former champion. The title shot is on the line. It all sounds very promising, doesn’t it? There is of course the argument that Edwards looked so poor in his previous 2 fights that Garry maybe deserves something better, higher in the rankings. However, that may not be available to him as Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov seem intent on fighting each other in a potential number-one contender’s fight shortly. If this comes to fruition, the #3 ranked Edwards could be Garry’s best bet at rising to the title shot he has dreamed of.
Option 3 – “The Shot”: Title Shot
Now, I happen to fall on the side that Ian Garry has not done enough to warrant a title shot. 0 finishes in his last 5 fights and only a 1-fight winning streak does not usually result in a title shot but Machado Garry has something most do not. Charisma. Whether to see him succeed or to see him fail, you want to watch Garry, he has that ‘it factor’ about him. The very same ‘it factor’ that UFC President, Dana White, desires in his fighters. The UFC and Dana see Garry as a potential superstar, even announcing him as the backup fighter to UFC 315 should anything happen to the main event. Now, there are potential hurdles to this idea, as many feel as though a Jack Della Maddalena win in Montreal would lead to Islam Makhachev moving up from lightweight to challenge for the 170 belt. However, let us assume Belal Muhammad can defend his title, it leads to a potentially exciting post-fight scene. Machado Garry will be sure to find his way into the cage to cause a stir with the champion and throw his name into the hat for the next shot at the belt. Are there more deserving contenders in Shavkat and Sean Brady? But do they carry the same superstar potential as Garry, absolutely not.
Overall, all 3 options have plenty of promise and intrigue for fans, showing the current depth of the Welterweight division in the UFC. However, I feel as though should Joaquin Buckley get the job done vs Kamaru Usman on June 14th, a potential matchup between him and Garry would make for a truly mouth-watering number one contender’s fight in the near-future. Let us see what the UFC thinks and what they do with the hungry Irishman next.
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