Ian Machado Garry releases statement after defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330

Ian Machado Garry insists he is still 'bulletproof' after he was defeated by Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in Philadelphia over the weekend.

The 28-year-old lost by unanimous decision as Makhachev made history with a record-breaking 17th consecutive victory in the UFC.

It only strengthened the calls for Makhachev to go down as the greatest fighter in the sport's history, a fact that Garry was keen to put into context when he reflected on the defeat.

In a statement released after the bout, the former Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion insisted he was not 'disheartened' about losing to such a strong competitor.

“Tonight wasn’t my night,” Garry wrote on social media. “I feel great, I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight and that’s OK. I want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do better, I want you to know that I’m going to be back.

“I’m not disheartened by this. I’m bulletproof in my mind. I’m 28 years of age, I just fought maybe the greatest fighter we’ve ever seen in this sport and I pushed him to the f**king wire and I’m so proud of myself and I’m so proud of my team and everything that we’ve done. I’m so proud of what I’ve done in this world and who I’ve become. Nobody’s stopping me. Tonight was not my night.”

It marked just the second time Garry had tasted defeat in his 12 UFC appearances. The Irishman began his professional career with an impressive 15-0 record, which included wins in his first eight UFC bouts.

Garry lost for the first time to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024, but bounced back with wins over Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates to earn the right to challenge Makhachev.

Although it was frustrating to lose again, the Irish fighter was full of praise for his opponent and sent a classy message to the Russian and his team.

“Islam, your team, congratulations,” Garry added. “Your guys did amazing. I have nothing but love and respect for everything you guys have done in this sport, I said that to you. I’ll be back. There’s plenty of matchups in this sport, plenty of fun matchups that I’m excited for. We’ll be back and we’ll be better than ever. I love you all, let’s go, baby.”

Makhachev questions Garry’s kindness after UFC 330

The Russian, who is now targeting a 20-fight UFC win streak, offered respect to his opponent post-match; however, he also questioned his kindness.

“Honestly, I don’t understand, man. This is the fight. This is not something [where] we have to, like, hug each other every round, you know?” said Makhachev.

“We’re going to break the face, break the eye, you know? That’s why I respect all my opponents… [but] he respects too much.

“[Garry told me] ‘I fought today with the greatest fighter.’ I respect him. He’s a good guy, very kind. But this is war, look at my face. I come to beat everybody, [it’s not play].

“This is [a] fight. This is not a game,” concluded the 34-year-old.