- Ian Machado Garry has signed with Matchroom Sport's newly launched Matchroom Talent Agency for commercial and brand partnership representation, with Eddie Hearn leading the deal.
- The agreement is strictly commercial, VaynerSports retains all UFC fight negotiation and contract duties for Garry.
- Garry becomes only the second UFC fighter on Matchroom Talent Agency's roster, joining UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who signed in March 2026.
- The signing comes weeks before Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on August 15, 2026.
Ian Machado Garry, the Irish UFC welterweight contender nicknamed “The Future,” has officially signed with Matchroom Sport’s newly formed Matchroom Talent Agency for commercial representation. The deal covers Garry’s commercial interests, with Eddie Hearn personally reaching out to pursue the signing.
Garry is now the second UFC fighter to join Matchroom Talent Agency, following UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who signed with the agency in March 2026.
Unlike Aspinall’s arrangement, which is more comprehensive, Garry’s deal is purely commercial; Matchroom will focus on building his brand, securing partnerships, and driving revenue outside the Octagon. VaynerSports, where Garry is managed by Lloyd Pierson, will continue handling all UFC negotiations and fight contracts.
Hearn was direct about his reasoning: he described Garry as a potential crossover superstar with rare commercial appeal; tall, well-spoken, and polarizing in the best way for brand building.
On the fight side, Garry holds a 17-1 professional record and is set to headline UFC 330 against champion Islam Makhachev on August 15, 2026, in Philadelphia.
The 28-year-old Dublin native captured the Cage Warriors welterweight title before joining the UFC in 2021, racking up notable wins over Belal Muhammad, Carlos Prates, and Michael Page on his way to a first UFC title shot. Just this past November, Garry defeated former champion Belal Muhammad to cement his number-two welterweight ranking.
Similar momentum is being built across the MMA representation space with French middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov recently signed with LSMprod for representation.
Matchroom Talent Agency has already shown results, Aspinall has driven over seven figures in commercial value since joining, through deals including DAZN and Cloudbet, plus podcast growth. Garry is next in line to benefit from that same playbook.
Hearn has also signed rugby stars Finn Russell and Henry Pollock to the Matchroom Talent Agency stable, signaling an aggressive cross-sport expansion.
Garry’s current brand portfolio already includes partnerships with Ridge, Timex, and All Kids Golf Clubs. With Matchroom now in his corner on the commercial side, expect that list to grow rapidly, especially if he walks out of Philadelphia as UFC welterweight champion.
Takeaways
This signing tells a clear story: top UFC talent is no longer content leaving commercial money on the table. Hearn built his case with Aspinall first, over seven figures unlocked while the man couldn’t even fight, and now Garry is betting on that same machinery before the biggest moment of his career.
It’s a smart hedge. Win the belt in August, and Matchroom has a world champion to market globally from day one.
The split structure (Matchroom for commercial, VaynerSports for the cage) is also worth noting. It lets Garry keep his existing team intact while adding firepower in an area MMA managers typically underserve.
The bigger picture? Eddie Hearn is quietly building an MMA commercial empire that runs parallel to, and increasingly in tension with, the UFC’s own control over athlete monetization. Dana White won’t love this.
If Garry wins the UFC welterweight title at UFC 330, how fast could Matchroom turn him into a global crossover star? Will the Hearn–Dana White rivalry eventually make these Matchroom signings a flashpoint in fighter contract negotiations? Could Matchroom Talent Agency eventually sign enough UFC talent to shift negotiating leverage away from the promotion?
