Michael Morales puts UFC welterweight division on notice, Ian Machado Garry responds

Michael Morales has his sights set on any UFC welterweight willing to step in the octagon with him.

The undefeated contender is yet to compete in 2026, and with upcoming events starting to fill up, fans may have to wait until 2027 to see Morales fight again, but when he returns he expects to get a huge matchup. On Sunday, Morales released a video in which he ran down his potential opponents, starting with champion Islam Makhachev.

“Islam, since you came to my division and took the belt, I have been asking for the fight,” Morales said. “You know who I am. You said Morales is way more dangerous. You also said I need one more fight, and about [Carlos] Prates and me, you said, ‘Let them fight.’ Alright, I respect that, but after that, no more excuses. You and me for the belt.”

Morales is 7-0 in the UFC and is coming off of a trio of first-round knockouts over Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Neil Magny. The 27-year-old Ecuadorian star has all the makings of a potential champion at 170 pounds.

However, he is approaching a year of inactivity, and may have been passed in the contender line by Carlos Prates. This past May, Prates scored a dominant knockout win over former champion Jack Della Maddalena, lining him up to be Makhachev’s next challenger. Morales made sure to mention Prates, as well as fellow undefeated fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, who has been sidelined since December 2024 due to injuries.

“Prates, you said UFC never offered you the fight with me,” Morales said. “You said you will knock me out in the first round. Perfect, bro, let’s do it. You and me, Deadpool vs. Spider-Man. You want the belt? I want the belt. Let’s find out who’s next. I want the hard fight. I want the great fighters. I want the fights the people are going to remember, but if you guys have different plans, Islam, if you prefer Prates because you prefer an easy fighter, I have mine for 2027.

“The final boss of this division, Shavkat Rakhmonov. You know where to find me.”

As for recent welterweight title challenger Ian Machado Garry, Morales had a succinct message for him as well.

“Oh, I almost forgot about you,” Morales said. “F*ck you, Ian Garry.”

Garry issued a response Monday, including a clip of a previous interaction with Morales and the accompanying caption:

I’ve said YES. The date is locked in. Main event and You’re making excuses already. UFC sent the date. I dm’d you myself. You make it all public but behind the scenes I’m getting a different message. The world knows I’m anyone anytime… How long has it been since he’s fought?

Garry lost a unanimous decision to Makhachev at UFC 330 in August and has vowed to fight his way back to another title opportunity. Morales successfully weighed in as the backup for that title fight.