Irish fighter Ian Machado Garry faced a chorus of boos from fans at a UFC 330 news conference in Philadelphia. Fans reportedly pledged their allegiance to Russia's Islam Makhachev, the welterweight champion whom Machado Garry is set to challenge on Saturday.
Machado Garry, 28, expressed confidence despite the reception, stating, "On Saturday night that belt will be wrapped around my waist and every single one of you is going to change - it's going to be 'let's go Garry' chants." He holds a professional record of 17 wins in 18 bouts, with 10 wins from 11 UFC fights.
Makhachev, 34, vacated his lightweight title in January 2025 and claimed the welterweight belt in November. He has lost only once in his 29-fight career. A victory for Makhachev would see him surpass Anderson Silva's record of 16 successive UFC wins.
In the co-main event, Canada's Gillian Robertson will challenge strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern. Robertson, 31, is making her first title shot in her 21st UFC fight and holds the record for most submission wins in UFC history with seven.