Islam Makhachev on Ian Garry at UFC 330: 'He runs too much'

Islam Makhachev has a straightforward plan for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15: cut off the cage and force the grappling exchanges that have made him a two-division champion.

The welterweight titleholder told MMA Fighting that Garry's movement-heavy approach means he will spend camp working on pursuit and pressure. "His skills, I just have to run in this camp too much because I have to follow him," Makhachev said at Zuffa Boxing 9. "He runs too much. I know his game plan. We always see his fights. He has the same style always. I will try to catch him, take him down, just what I did with my old opponents."

Makhachev dismisses Oliveira intel advantage

Garry trains alongside Charles Oliveira, whom Makhachev stopped with an arm-triangle choke in 2022, but the Dagestani champion is not worried about any inside knowledge his challenger might gain. When asked about Oliveira's potential input, Makhachev quipped that the Brazilian would teach Garry "how to tap fast." He added that the bout is strictly business despite Garry's reputation for verbal warfare and any narrative about avenging Irish losses to his camp after Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor and Usman Nurmagomedov twice beat Paul Hughes.

Makhachev is wrapping up camp at Nick Catone MMA in New Jersey with his full team, including head coach Javier Mendez and Khabib. He confirmed that preparations have gone smoothly and expects to make a successful first defense of the 170-pound strap. "Everything is going very well," he said. "We're training everyday very hard to be ready."

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• MMA Fighting — Islam Makhachev reveals his game plan for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330: ‘I have to follow him, he runs too much’