Undefeated UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev evidently isn’t taking Ian Garry’s 185-pound ambitions too seriously.
Garry’s current focus is on rising the ranks at 170 pounds en route to the gold. The next step on that journey comes this weekend when he co-headlines the UFC 310 pay-per-view opposite top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Fittingly, “The Future” has never been on to avoid looking into the future. And when it comes to his plan post-Dec. 7, the Irishman has more than one belt in mind.
“I’m a young kid who’s dreamed of being here, who wanted to see his face on billboards.” Garry told Ariel Helwani this week. “(I) wanted to do shows against the scariest people in the world. I’ve said to you before, how my ideal scenario is I fight and beat Shavkat, and then win the welterweight title. I go up to middleweight, I fight Khamzat and win that belt too.
“I’m not afraid of any man. I know how talented I am. I know the gifts God gave me,” Garry added.
It didn’t take long for the middleweight specifically named by Garry while he became the latest expressing two-division goals to give his thoughts.
Taking to social media, Chimaev sent the unbeaten Dublin native a stern warning.
@ianagaryy ?? ??????? ????? ?????, ?? ???? ? ????? ?????, ??? ?????? ??????????
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) December 3, 2024
“@ianagaryy You’re too skinny kid, don’t go near the Wolf’s teeth, you’ll end up headless,” Chimaev wrote on X.
While Chimaev rose into title contention at welterweight, struggles to hit the 171-pound limit resulted in a permanent move to 185 pounds. He’s since thrived, defeating both Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker to rise to #3 on the divisional ladder.
With “Borz” widely expected to challenge for Dricus du Plessis’ gold next, the Chechen star could well occupy the throne by the time Garry has the chance to realize his middleweight aspirations.
First things first, though, Garry has another undefeated phenom to handle at T-Mobile Arena this Saturday night.