Garry On Makhachev Size Edge After Rocky Faceoff

Ian Machado Garry's height advantage over Islam Makhachev looked less dramatic than advertised when the UFC 330 main event pair faced off Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Makhachev defends his welterweight strap against Garry on Saturday at UFC 330, with the champion attempting to surpass Anderson Silva's record for consecutive UFC wins. The two fighters met in front of the Rocky statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as MMA Mania first reported, in a promotional staredown that gave fans their first real look at the size gap.

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Height Gap Smaller Than Expected at UFC 330 Faceoff

UFC.com lists Garry at six-foot-three and Makhachev at five-ten. Fan-made graphics had portrayed the Irishman as a giant next to the former lightweight champion. The Tuesday faceoff told a different story — Garry stood taller, but the gap was nowhere near as stark as internet speculation suggested.

Makhachev moved to welterweight to take the belt off Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 and handled the Australian with ease. Questions have persisted about whether bigger opposition at 170 might trouble the Dagestani grappler. The smaller-than-expected height difference could shift late betting action his way, per the MMA Mania report.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry on Ticketmaster →

In the co-main, Mackenzie Dern makes her first women's strawweight title defense against submission specialist Gillian Robertson. UFC 330 airs Saturday from Philadelphia.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Faceoff! UFC 330’s Ian Machado-Garry doesn’t quite tower over Islam Makhachev in front of Philly’s Rocky statue