Cage Warriors champion Ian Garry announces UFC signing

Ian Garry has arrived.

The Cage Warriors welterweight champion announced Friday via an Instagram video post that he has been signed to the UFC roster.

MMA Fighting also confirmed the news with a source with knowledge of the signing.

Garry, 23, is 7-0 as a pro and has been touted as a potential star at 170 pounds since making his debut at Cage Warriors 101 in February 2019. Nicknamed “The Future,” Garry has finished five of his seven opponents.

Most recently in June, Garry won a unanimous decision over Jack Grant to emerge victorious from a four-man tournament and capture a vacant Cage Warriors welterweight title. Prior to that, he scored a spectacular walk-off head kick knockout of UFC vet Rostem Akman and followed that with a declaration: “UFC, I’m coming.”

Garry, a native of Ireland, joins Paddy Pimblett as the second high-profile fighter to make the jump from Cage Warriors to the UFC this year.

A date and opponent for Garry’s debut is yet to be determined.