Islam Makhachev's manager fires back at Ian Garry's McGregor comparison

Islam Makhachev's manager has dismissed Ian Garry's recent claim that defeating the lightweight champion would represent a McGregor-level moment in the sport.

Ali Abdelaziz took to social media after Garry compared his upcoming UFC 330 bout against Makhachev to Conor McGregor's 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo in 2015, per Sherdog. The manager questioned Garry's credentials, pointing out that the Irishman is 2-1 in his last three fights and was nearly stopped by Caio Prates before the bell saved him.

Abdelaziz highlights Makhachev's finish rate

Abdelaziz drew a sharp contrast between the two fighters' recent performances. "Islam Makhachev's last 10 fights? Eight of them ended in finishes," he wrote. "Three of those wins came against world champions. The rest were against top-five and top-15 contenders."

The manager was blunt about Garry's McGregor comparisons. "First of all, you're not Conor. You'll never be Conor," Abdelaziz posted, according to the report. "Just be who you are. Don't try to be somebody else."

Makhachev defends his welterweight title against Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. A win would give the Russian his first title defense at 170 pounds and break Anderson Silva's record for the longest win streak in UFC history.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — ‘You’re not Conor’: Islam Makhachev’s camp responds to Ian Garry’s big claim