Ian Garry's UFC 330 callout risks 'very bad night' against Islam

Ian Garry has predicted not just a win but the exact round and method he'll finish Islam Makhachev at UFC 330, and Daniel Cormier thinks the welterweight contender is setting himself up to fail.

Garry is concerned that an early stoppage of the pound-for-pound king might look like a fluke or spark excuses from doubters, MMA Mania reports. Cormier, who trains alongside Makhachev at American Kickboxing Academy, told his YouTube audience that the Irish fighter's approach is backwards. "Sometimes, a person is misguided in their thoughts, and when they're misguided in their thoughts, they set themselves up for a very, very bad night or a bad result," Cormier said, per MMA Junkie.

Why Garry's callout against Makhachev could backfire

The former heavyweight champion stressed that a victory over the best fighter in the sport carries weight no matter how it arrives. "It doesn't matter what happens if you beat the best fighter in the world across all weight classes pound-for-pound," Cormier said. "It doesn't matter how you win. It only matters that you win." Makhachev captured the welterweight title from Jack Della Maddalena last fall after vacating his lightweight crown and is tied with Anderson Silva for the longest win streak in UFC history at 16.

Garry bounced back from a decision loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov by stopping ranked contender Carlos Prates and former champion Belal Muhammad in consecutive outings. The 28-year-old now carries a 17-1 record into the Aug. 15 main event in Philadelphia, where he'll challenge a fighter who holds the top spot in the promotion's pound-for-pound rankings at age 34.

UFC 330 takes place at Wells Fargo Center with Garry and Makhachev scheduled for five rounds.

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• MMA Mania — ‘Misguided’ Ian Garry setting himself up for a ‘very bad night’ at UFC 330 with arrogant shot-calling against Islam