Ian Machado Garry recently explained why he believes his last five opponents were far more dangerous than the ones Islam Makhachev has faced.
Garry will take on Makhachev at UFC 330 for the welterweight title at the Xfinity Mobile Arena this Saturday. The fight marks the Russian’s first welterweight title defense, and the Irishman’s first shot at UFC gold, respectively.
Ahead of the fight, in an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Garry broke down his path to the title shot, going on to compare it with Makhachev’s recent opponents. The 28-year-old said:
If you look at my last five opponents versus Islam’s [Makhachev] last five opponents. In my opinion, it’s not a discussion – who’s had it more difficult. When you look at who I’ve fought – Belal Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Carlos Prates and MVP [Michael Venom Page]. Those four are four of the trickiest fighters on the planet. All of them present real danger.
Garry added:
When you look at JDM [Jack Della Maddalena], Renato Moicano, Dustin Poirier and Volkanovski – as much as Volkanovski is a legend of the sport, and Dustin Poirier is a legend of the sport, they are not as dangerous as the guys I’ve just mentioned. Not only that, every single one of them is bigger and longer…I’ve been fighting the highest level of MMA fights against the toughest opponents.
Check out Ian Machado Garry’s comments below:
It is worth noting that Garry was beaten once in his last five fights (against Shavkat Rakhmonov). Meanwhile, undefeated since 2015, Makhachev hardly faced any trouble beating his last five opponents.
Ian Machado Garry Will be The Tallest Opponent Islam Makhachev has ever faced in the UFC
Ian Machado Garry will be, by a big margin, the tallest opponent Islam Makhachev has ever faced in the octagon. Standing at 6 ft 3 inches, Garry also possesses a reach of 74 inches, 4 inches more than Makhachev’s.
Prior to this fight, Dan Hooker, who stands at 6 ft, had been the tallest fighter the Russian has ever fought in the UFC. Although Makhachev has enough weapons in his arsenal, this fight would surely be an interesting watch.
