A big fight for the welterweight division served as the UFC Qatar co-main event, as ex-champ and #1-ranked Belal Muhammad took on Irish star Ian Machado Garry.
With Islam Makhachev newly crowned as the promotion’s welterweight champion, Garry, Michael Morales, Carlos Prates and others were vying to be first in line to challenge one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Garry worked kicks low and high early, while Muhammad, as he’d promised before the fight, got his boxing going, looking for a way in. Just 30 seconds in, however, Muhammad was grazed by an eye poke, leading to a break in the action. About a minute later, with Muhmmad getting a rest to recover and his eye wiped down, they got going again. Garry’s kicks had pinpoint accuracy; both men were finding the mark with their hands. Yet another leg kick briefly upended Muhammad, who was leaking blood near his left eye – not the one that had been poked.
Muhammad looked to work his way inside in round two, finding some success in the first minute but hitting air just as much. A counter right landed for Garry, who fired a spinning kick moments later. After nearly a round and a half of boxing, Muhammad finally changed levels, ending up in a clinch chasing a takedown. Garry, however, peeled the ex-champ off and circled out. A single leg attempt followed by Belal; Garry fought that off as well, while Muhammad was warned for grabbing the fence.
Belal Muhammad continued this wrestling-heavy approach in the back half of round two. Garry nearly landed a takedown of his own; following that clinch, another eye poke grazed Muhammad. Garry’s hands were kind of half-open, fingers pointing down, but the accidental foul led to another warning for the ref. Muhammad didn’t take much time to recover, and went back in on a takedown moments later. Coming out of that clinch, just before the horn, Garry came over the top with an elbow.
Garry came on strong early in round three, connecting on Muhammad several times with both his hands, and a kick. His right hand hit the mark, snapping Muhammad’s head back in whip-like fashion. That led to another takedown attempt by the ex-champ, easily fought off, then a second. The second attempt by Muhammad was a strong one, but Garry was able to force his way off the fence and free himself. A kick to the lead leg of Muhamad, then another, followed, before Belal again clinched up.
There was no knockout, as Ian Machado Garry had predicted ahead of the fight, but the unanimous decision win was his. “You have a duty to defend that belt against the best welterweight on the planet, and you’re looking at him!” Garry proclaimed after the win, in a message aimed at Islam Makhachev.
Official Result: Ian Machado Garry def. Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
