Islam Makhachev says there is still no contract in front of him for the rumored fight with Ian Machado Garry, and that alone is enough to stop the speculation from becoming a decision. The UFC Welterweight Champion said he cannot accept a bout that has not been formally offered, even as talk of a summer title defense, possibly in August, keeps building online.
That clarification matters now because the matchup has become a social media storm without becoming an official booking. Makhachev said, “People say, ‘Accept the fight,’ but there’s no contract. How can I accept something that hasn’t been sent to me?” He added that he is not turning down any fights and is ready to compete as soon as the paperwork reaches him.
The dispute is being watched closely because it sits at the center of the UFC’s title picture. Makhachev is the champion, Garry has been pressing for the bout, and the rumor mill has already moved faster than the formal process. The result is a familiar gap in MMA: a fight can dominate conversation long before it becomes a signed fight.
That gap is what Garry has tried to exploit, accusing Makhachev of dragging his feet and hiding behind a hand injury. But Makhachev’s response cuts in the other direction. Dana White had previously mentioned a lingering hand issue keeping him sidelined, yet Makhachev said, “I’ll do the surgery after I retire, but right now it doesn’t stop me from accepting any fight.”
He framed the injury as a future problem, not a present excuse. In other words, the hand may shape his long-term plans, but it is not what is blocking this one. The real issue is whether UFC matchmakers have sent the contract at all, and that remains the unanswered piece at the heart of the rumor.
For now, the fight exists as a possibility rather than an announcement. If official paperwork is sent and signed, the debate over who is avoiding whom will give way to a date and a contract. If it is not, the summer chatter around Makhachev and Garry will stay what it has been so far: noise without a booking.
