Ian Machado Garry is seething, and he’s not afraid to let the world know. The Irish welterweight is incredulous that Jack Della Maddalena is getting a title shot at UFC 315, while he, fresh off a loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, is left on the sidelines.
The UFC 315 main event, scheduled for May 10 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was initially set to feature Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight title against the undefeated Rakhmonov. However, Rakhmonov’s injury forced a change, and Della Maddalena was tapped as the replacement.
Garry, who suffered his first career loss to Rakhmonov at UFC 310, believes he was the more deserving candidate. “Why aren’t I fighting for the title? I had a chat with my agent,” Garry posted on his Instagram. “I rang him when he told me about this news, and I was livid – still am to this day. I had a No. 1 contender’s fight where the guy (Rakhmonov) now has to get knee reconstruction and is out for a year. But you know, it’s not my fault. I didn’t do it. I didn’t stab his knee 20 something times and boot the leg off. I’m not fighting for a world title because I’m coming off a loss, and they’re giving it to a guy who’s been injured for a year, and they think that’s more exciting, but they’re wrong.”
Garry’s frustration stems from the perceived inconsistency in the UFC’s decision-making. He points out that Della Maddalena, despite his impressive 17-fight winning streak, has been inactive since a comeback knockout of Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 in March 2024, due to a forearm injury.
“The world title fight was meant to be Shavkat Rakhmonov taking on Belal Muhammad, but Shavkat apparently is out injured. I wonder how that happened? Now they’re pulling in a guy who hasn’t fought in a year because he’s had an operation on his forearm because he broke it in his last fight, hasn’t fought in a long time, and hasn’t been active. So, they’ve given it to Jack Della Maddalena because I’m coming off of a loss. That’s OK. Don’t worry. I’ll get you all. You’re all mine.”
Garry’s loss to Rakhmonov, while marking the first blemish on his record, was a closely contested bout against a top contender. He believes his performance in that fight, coupled with Rakhmonov’s subsequent injury, should have positioned him for a title opportunity.
The Irish welterweight’s outburst highlights the often-subjective nature of title contention in the UFC. While Della Maddalena’s winning streak is undeniable, Garry’s argument that activity and performance against top-tier opponents should be prioritized holds weight. Garry’s declaration that he will “get you all” adds a layer of personal vendetta to his future fights. The message is clear: he plans to climb back into contention and prove that he, not Della Maddalena, deserved the title shot.
