UFC Fight Night 265: Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry Preview & Prediction
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Ian Garry vs Belal Muhammad: Young sharpshooter meets relentless veteran wrestler in Qatar co-main event.
Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry facts
What time are Belal Muhammad and Ian Machado Garry expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena, Al Rayyan, Qatar
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker main card
Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry (Welterweight)
Volkan Oezdemir vs Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Jack Hermansson vs Myktybek Orolbai (Welterweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Shamil Gaziev (Heavyweight)
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker prelims
Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley (Featherweight)
Nicolas Dalby vs Saygid Izagakhmaev (Welterweight)
Alex Perez vs Asu Almabayev (Flyweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Rafael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Aleksandre Topuria (Bantamweight)
Ismail Naurdiev vs Ryan Loder (Middleweight)
Nurullo Aliev vs Shaqueme Rock (Lightweight)
Marek Bujlo vs Denzel Freeman (Heavyweight)
Ian Garry: Rising technician looking to earn his signature win
Ian “The Future” Garry (16-1) enters UFC Qatar as one of the brightest young contenders at welterweight, carrying an impressive résumé that includes victories over Michael “MVP” Page, Geoff Neal, Neil Magny, Daniel Rodriguez, and most recently Carlos Prates. His style is built around rangy, disciplined kickboxing—using his 6’3” frame, sharp footwork, and in-and-out movement to dictate range, pick opponents apart, and accumulate scoring shots over long fights. Seven of his wins come by knockout and eight via decision, reflecting a fighter who mixes precision striking with patience and tactical awareness. His improved grappling, showcased in the Shavkat Rakhmonov fight where he threatened with slick submission attempts, has added a new layer to his already well-rounded game.
Garry is at his best when he can maintain distance, manage pace, and force opponents into a technical kickboxing match. His ability to switch stances, counter cleanly, and vary his kicking targets makes him difficult to pressure without taking damage. However, this matchup presents challenges he hasn’t consistently faced: heavy, grinding wrestling over five rounds and an opponent who is willing to weaponise cardio and cage control. Garry’s takedown defence has steadily improved, but prolonged clinch battles and mat returns remain the stylistic area where his game is least proven against elite competition.
Belal Muhammad: Battle-hardened grinder looking to reclaim momentum
Belal “Remember the Name” Muhammad (24-4, 1 NC) returns after a razor-thin loss to Jack Della Maddalena that snapped a 10-fight unbeaten run—a stretch that included decisive wins over Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Sean Brady. Muhammad’s identity is rooted in suffocating pressure wrestling, chain takedowns, and relentless forward movement, supported by significantly improved boxing fundamentals. His ability to hold opponents on the cage, outwork them in scrambles, and dictate pace has made him one of the most consistent five-round fighters in the division. With 18 of his 24 wins coming by decision, Belal thrives in long, tactical battles where volume, conditioning, and positional control matter most.
Despite the loss to JDM, that fight highlighted an improved striking arsenal—Muhammad threw in combinations, countered cleanly, and showed greater confidence trading in the pocket. Against Edwards he demonstrated further evolution in his boxing, using feints, pressure, and smart entries to set up wrestling sequences. At 37, he remains one of the division’s most experienced competitors and is one of the few welterweights with extensive championship-round mileage. His ability to maintain a grinding pace for 25 minutes poses a major stylistic test for any rising contender.
Ian Garry vs Belal Muhammad prediction
This clash pits Garry’s rangy precision and youth against Muhammad’s proven durability, wrestling volume, and five-round experience. While Garry is the superior pure striker and will likely find success early with kicks, counters, and lateral movement, the deeper the fight goes, the more Belal’s pressure-first approach becomes a factor. Muhammad has shown the ability to learn from setbacks, and after being criticised for his approach against JDM, he is likely to lean heavily on takedowns, clinch control, and physicality to blunt Garry’s rhythm.
Your assessment aligns with the key stylistic dynamics: Muhammad is the stronger clinch wrestler, the more seasoned championship-round athlete, and the fighter better equipped to win rounds through control. Garry’s submission threats are real, but Belal’s positional safety and grinding style make extended top control more likely than risky engagements. Over five rounds, that consistency and physical pressure may prove decisive.
Prediction: Belal Muhammad to win
