Garry Says Covington Fight Was Offered, Never Booked
In October 2024, Ian Machado Garry said he had accepted a proposed fight with Colby Covington, while Dana White also described Covington as one of the options being considered. The matchup was never booked. Garry later fought Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 and lost by unanimous decision; Covington instead faced Joaquin Buckley in Tampa and was stopped by doctor’s stoppage in Round 3.
Talk of a matchup, not a booking
The 2024 discussion followed Garry’s unanimous-decision win over Michael Page. Reports said Garry wanted to fight Covington and that the veteran was under consideration, but neither fighter was officially announced for a bout against the other. The reported interest and public callout should not be presented as a confirmed UFC booking.
Their next fights took different paths
Garry replaced Belal Muhammad as Rakhmonov’s opponent in the non-title co-main event below Pantoja–Asakura after champion Belal Muhammad withdrew with an injury. Rakhmonov won the five-round fight by unanimous decision. Covington headlined UFC Tampa against Buckley on December 14, 2024; Buckley won by third-round TKO after the ringside physician stopped the contest.
Garry later challenged Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026, and lost by unanimous decision. No Garry–Covington fight has been announced. The two were linked in 2024, but their careers proceeded along separate paths.
