Ian Machado Harry took his last step in favor UFC Welterweight title fight as he looks to build hype around a potential bout with Islam Makhachev.
Machado Harry set up a clinic to defeated former champion Belal Muhammad at the UFC tournament in Qatar on Saturday, dominating the American-Palestinian bout and winning by unanimous decision.
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Having defeated rising star Carlos Prates this year, sixth-ranked Harry is well positioned to be next in line to take on newly crowned welterweight king Makhachev, who crushed Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become a two-division champion.
Machado Harry, originally from Portmarnock in Ireland, believes he and Makhachev can write the final chapter of the story. The rivalry that burns between Ireland and Dagestan in MMAthe one that started with Conor McGregor against Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2018.
“We have a history, our countries have a history in the game – the greatest rivalry in sports,” Harry said. “You're Khabib's protege, I'm McGregor's protege. Let's get back to the welterweight world title.”
“Islam, the ball is in your court – you choose when, you choose where, and I will be there. And I'm telling you now, this belt is not coming home with you.”
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He later added: “This is the new wave of Dagestan, more technical on the feet, more technical wrestling than Khabib. I'm a longer, faster and more versatile version of Conor. This is the perfect fight. He should knock me down. I should keep him on his feet.”
While Khabib's childhood friend Makhachev is undoubtedly a scion of the famous Nurmagomedov dynasty, Harry calling himself a “McGregor protégé” may be a bit of an exaggeration.
Ian Machado Harry claims to be Conor McGregor's protégé (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved).
Harry spent some time with McGregor's team at the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin and openly professed his love for his countryman, but “The Notorious” didn't groom him into the fighting game nearly to the same extent as Khabib groomed Makhachev.
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And while he's clearly content to stoke the flames of a potential feud by emphasizing the competitive nature of the fight, Harry quickly maintains respect for the champion.
“First of all, I want to say that I have nothing but respect for Islam Makhachev,” said Harry. “This guy is number one in the world in a weight class and the champion of my division.
“However, when you come into my division and you are the only thing stopping me, that is, preventing me from achieving my dreams, I'm going to punch a hole in your head. He'll have to fight me next.”
