Ian Machado Garry continues to call out Belal Muhammad for a fight, and he might actually get it … just not when he wants it.
Garry was last seen serving as backup for the Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena fight that saw “JDM” take the welterweight belt off “Remember The Name.” With Della Maddalena now set to fight Islam Makhachev sometime near the end of the year, Garry is looking to beat Muhammad and secure the next No. 1 contender spot.
But Muhammad would rather fight his longtime rival Kamaru Usman next, which doesn’t sit right with “The Future.”
“Belal Muhammad is continuing to call out Kamaru Usman,” Garry said in a new Instagram video. “Usman has said himself that he’s not fighting any time soon. So why does he keep calling him out? Because he’s avoiding me. He’s now started to mention Sean Brady’s name again — a man who he’s already knocked out. Imagine calling out someone you’ve already knocked out!”
“Here’s the truth: Had Belal beat JDM, he’d be fighting me in his hometown of Chicago, Garry claimed. “So do the right thing. Don’t let your hometown down and accept the fight in Chicago. I’ll see you soon.”
A bored looking Muhammad responded to Garry’s callout by asking ChatGPT for some trash talk.
“Ian Garry out here trying to do Conor cosplay with Dollar Tree trash talk,” he said, reading the results off his phone. “Bro, your lines hit softer than your jab. You sound like a teenager who just discovered McGregor highlight reels. You wanna outbox me? Try out-talking me first without embarrassing yourself.”
“Until then, go back to rehearsing in the mirror. Maybe one day, your trash talk will be as sharp as your barbers fade.”
Muhammad didn’t seem very engaged in the idea of facing Garry, but he did caption his video with what looks like a fight agreement.
“See you in November, dork,” he wrote.
That’s later in the year than Garry might like. He was aiming for UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16th, while it sounds like Muhammad is looking for a spot on the November New York City pay-per-view.
We’ll see what UFC matchmakers think of the options. There’s no bad fights at the top of the 170 pound division … but there has been a lot of inaction. Let’s hope that changes soon.
