Makhachev Says Garry 'Constantly Runs Away'

Islam Makhachev does not think much of how Ian Garry fights — and he has made that clear before the fight is even built.

The welterweight champion offered a pointed assessment of his UFC 330 challenger ahead of their August 15 title fight in Philadelphia, questioning the Irishman's style and his willingness to engage rather than evade.

"Style-wise, he's a tricky fighter. He constantly runs away. I wouldn't call him an entertaining fighter. Morales, for example, he can wrestle, he goes forward. But 'going forward' has nothing to do with Ian Garry,” Makhachev

The critique is deliberate and specific. Makhachev is not dismissing Garry's talent — he acknowledges the trickiness — but he is framing the upcoming fight as one where he expects to be the aggressor chasing a man who prefers to operate on the back foot. For a champion whose entire game is built on pressing forward, establishing control, and making fights uncomfortable at close range, that framing sets up a clear narrative for August 15.

Garry's response to Dana White confirming the title shot was two words: "And new."

The confidence is trademark Garry, who has never struggled to locate belief in himself regardless of what the odds or the champion across from him might suggest. He has earned the shot legitimately — wins over Carlos Prates and former champion Belal Muhammad positioned him ahead of Michael Morales when the title fight was being allocated, and the Prates victory in particular has aged well given what the Brazilian has done to everyone else he has faced in the UFC.

The loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov remains the caveat on his record and the reason significant underdog status is the likely market position when lines open. Rakhmonov is a different kind of problem from Makhachev, but the defeat demonstrated that Garry can be broken down by a sufficiently physical and relentless opponent — exactly the profile Makhachev fits.

The welterweight title is Makhachev's first defence at 170 pounds after he vacated the lightweight belt and dominated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November to become the eleventh two-division champion in UFC history. His winning streak sits at 16, tied with Anderson Silva's all-time UFC record. A victory over Garry would make him the outright record holder.