UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is currently scheduled to defend his title and headline the UFC 315 event this week. Ahead of his much-awaited fight, Muhammad recently partook in a lighthearted interview conducted by top-tier welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry and the latter’s son.
Heartwarming Clip of Ian Machado Garry’s Son Goes Viral
Ian Machado Garry’s most recent fight saw him outpoint Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City last month (April 2025). Garry later called upon the UFC to accord him the opportunity to serve as the backup/replacement fighter for the welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.
For context, Muhammad is booked to defend his welterweight belt against Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10, 2025. UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed that Garry would indeed be the official backup fighter for the main event matchup. As such, the Irishman would step in to compete in the fight if Muhammad or Della Maddalena were to withdraw due to injury and/or other reasons.
Although Garry could potentially find himself clashing against Muhammad inside the Octagon, he recently had a cordial conversation with the welterweight kingpin. “The Future” also had his son, Leo (Leandro Vegas Machado Garry) — who was born on Oct. 20, 2022 — with him. The father-son duo jestingly interviewed Muhammad.
Garry asked his son to say, “You say, ‘Belal, can you win on the feet?'” Muhammad chimed in by replying, “He can.” The two fighters, who were all smiles, then seemingly expressed their respect for one another.
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A video clip, courtesy of ESPN Deportes’ Carlos Contreras Legaspi, was re-posted by ESPN MMA’s Instagram handle. It featured the aforementioned adorable interaction, and fans soon weighed in with their reactions to it. Multiple commenters praised the two fighters. One fan wrote, “Belal is a gentleman,” whereas another wrote, “Shout Out Belal … respect.”
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Meanwhile, several fans deemed the interview to be wholesome. One observer wrote, “Why is this so wholesome.” A fan affirmed, “Wholesome,” while another similarly noted, “Alright, surprisingly wholesome.”
Some netizens underscored their respect for Muhammad and Garry. A fan commented, “Respect boys,” and another asserted, “Ian is a nice guy ngl.” On the contrary, one fan opined, “This is so awkward.”
Moreover, as seen in an Instagram post put forth by Garry, he’d also urged his son Leo to ask other questions to Muhammad. One of them included the welterweight contender appearing to tell Leo to inquire about Muhammad’s high-stakes matchup that’ll transpire this weekend. Furthermore, “Remember the Name” and Leo were also seen thanking each other after their friendly interview concluded.
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