UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev is confident his first title defense will end inside the distance.
Speaking ahead of his UFC 330 main event against Ian Machado Garry on August 15 in Philadelphia, Makhachev predicted he will stop the Irish challenger within three rounds, outlining a game plan built around constant pressure and grappling. He said:
“I have the advantage everywhere. I’m going to pressure him, hold him, make him tired and finish him. At UFC 330 I will beat Ian Garry inside three rounds.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
The prediction aligns with comments Makhachev has made throughout fight week. The reigning champion believes Garry’s movement-heavy striking style can be neutralized by cutting off the cage, forcing clinch exchanges and repeatedly mixing in takedowns until the challenger begins to slow.
Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry enter with contrasting styles
UFC 330 marks Islam Makhachev’s first defense of the welterweight title after moving up from lightweight and defeating Jack Della Maddalena to become a two-division UFC champion. The Dagestani star enters the bout riding one of the longest winning streaks in UFC history and remains the promotion’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
Garry, meanwhile, earned his title opportunity after rebounding from the lone loss of his professional career with consecutive victories over Carlos Prates and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. The 28-year-old has repeatedly expressed confidence that his movement, distance management and kickboxing will present challenges Makhachev has not faced at 170 pounds.
The Irishman has also spent part of his training camp working alongside former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in an effort to sharpen his defensive grappling before facing one of the sport’s most dominant wrestlers. Makhachev dismissed the significance of those sessions, joking that Oliveira would only teach Garry “how to tap fast.”
High stakes in Philadelphia
While Garry has predicted a knockout victory of his own, Makhachev remains convinced the challenger will be unable to keep him off for 25 minutes. The champion believes sustained pressure, clinch control and chain wrestling will eventually wear Garry down before producing a finish inside the opening three rounds.
With the welterweight title on the line and two of the division’s biggest names headlining UFC 330, the outcome will determine whether Makhachev’s reign continues or Garry completes the biggest upset of his career.
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