Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales Trade DMs Over November Fight
Ian Machado Garry put the question in writing, and Michael Morales answered it the same way.
Morales posted their private messages this week, showing Garry asking why the unbeaten welterweight would sit as title-fight backup and still not take a date with him.
“I wanna fight before the end of the year and I’m being told you’re not available,” Garry wrote. “You were able to be the backup for the world title fight but not able to take a fight with me now? You’ve also asked to be a backup for the next title fight, but still not available to fight with me?”
He did not soften the close.
“Looks like someone is avoiding me. Talk all that sh*t online then don’t agree to fight? What’s going on here?”
Morales replied two days later.
“My son, what are you talking about?” he wrote. “I fight whenever you want I just want a contract and that’s it I’ll kick your as**s.”
Garry came back with a date and a country.
“Saudi. November 28th. Let’s do it.”
Morales’ last line was short.
“Sign it, my son, and we’ll do it.”
That is the entire argument in four bubbles. Garry wants the fight before 2026 ends. Morales says the holdup is a contract, not fear.
No official bout has been announced. November 28 is not on the posted UFC calendar, which already lists UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 14 and a Qatar card on Nov. 21.
Garry is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on Aug. 15. That dropped him to 17-2 and No. 1 in the official welterweight rankings.
He reached that title shot after decisions over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad. His only other loss is a decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.
Morales is 19-0 and ranked No. 3. He has not fought since a first-round TKO of Sean Brady at UFC 322 in November 2025.
That layoff is the space Garry is poking. Morales sat near the title picture while Garry took the Makhachev booking. Garry now wants the win that would put him back in line.
He said earlier this month that Morales was the only fight that made sense. He argued that a finish of the unbeaten Ecuadorian would force another title conversation even after the Makhachev loss.
Morales has heard the noise before. Garry once suggested he move to 185 pounds. Morales told him to suck it. The DMs are the next chapter of the same argument.
A signed contract would give 170 pounds one of its cleanest contender fights. Garry has length and a title-fight résumé. Morales has the unbeaten record and the power that stopped Brady in Round 1.
Neither man can book Saudi Arabia by himself. The UFC still has to print the bout agreement Morales asked for in the chat.
Until that happens, the messages are just pressure. Garry named a date. Morales named the condition.
Sign it, and they fight. Leave it unsigned, and the avoidance talk continues into the winter.