Ian Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry is an Irish mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In June 2026, Garry was ranked at number two in the welterweight UFC rankings.

Ian Machado Garry began boxing at the age of 10. Inspired by Conor McGregor, Garry wanted to expand his skillset so took up judo and became a blackbelt by the time he was 18. He began his professional career in 2019 with a win at Cage Warriors 101. After a series of consecutive wins, he took the Cage Warriors Welterweight Championship.

In 2021, Garry joined the UFC and continued his winning streak until 2024 when he experienced his first MMA loss. But Garry was soon back on his feet and won his next two UFC match-ups. In 2026, Garry attempted to take the UFC Welterweight Championship from Islam Makhachev but was unable to secure victory.

Why Ian Machado Garry is vegan

Ian Machado Garry is vegan for his health and the planet.

Ian Machado Garry became vegan around 2021 to better manage his health and weight after a series of illnesses. He told the BBC: “… I saw the negative effects that my diet was having towards my weight cutting and my fighting. I kept consistently getting sick.”¹Battison, P. 2026. How vegan diet changed course of Machado Garry’s career. BBC. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/mixed-martial-arts/articles/c0kmpjmjyepo [Accessed 16 October 2026]. Garry is certain that without switching to a vegan diet, which has improved his rest and recovery, he wouldn’t have had the phenomenal success that he has.

“My weight management since I’ve been vegan has been amazing. My recovery, my rest, my output, my training has been second to none.So I’ve been able to take short-notice fights to put myself in a position to beat the best guys in the world.”²Battison, P. 2026. How vegan diet changed course of Machado Garry’s career. BBC. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/mixed-martial-arts/articles/c0kmpjmjyepo [Accessed 16 October 2026].

Although athletic performance was Garry’s initial motivation to go vegan, he has also voiced concern for the environment and animal welfare:

“As I mature, as I get older I see the effect that every human can have with their choices on the planet […] Our decisions affect the animals, it affects the birds, it affects the bees, it affects all humans across the world, it affects sea life. So we need to be more conscious of the decisions we make day in and day out.”³Battison, P. 2026. How vegan diet changed course of Machado Garry’s career. BBC. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/mixed-martial-arts/articles/c0kmpjmjyepo [Accessed 16 October 2026].