Machado Garry
Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry will take on former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the co-main event of UFC Qatar on 22 November.
The 27-year-old Irishman is coming off a victory over Carlos Prates in April, having bounced back from his first UFC defeat at the hands of Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024.
Muhammad, meanwhile, lost his title to Jack Della Maddalena in May and will be looking to re-establish himself in the title picture with a win over Garry.
The outcome of the bout could set up a future meeting with the winner of Della Maddalena’s first title defence against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 later in November. Makhachev, who recently vacated his lightweight belt to move up in weight, is eyeing a second championship run in a new division.
In the main event in Qatar, Armenia’s Arman Tsarukyan will square off against New Zealand’s Dan Hooker in a lightweight clash.
Tsarukyan makes his return after withdrawing from a scheduled title fight with Makhachev in January, while Hooker is set to compete for the first time since August 2024 following a long spell out with hand injuries.
The card also carries wider implications for the lightweight division, with Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett closing in on a potential title shot.
Pimblett, 30, is seen as one of the frontrunners alongside American Justin Gaethje to challenge newly crowned champion Ilia Topuria.
However, the UFC could also choose to pair Topuria with Max Holloway, who is coming off a statement win over Dustin Poirier in July.