Weidman On Garry's Chances Against Makhachev

UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman expects Ian Machado Garry to face a brutal reality check when he challenges Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title at UFC 330.

Makhachev returns for the first time since capturing the 170-pound strap against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last year. Garry has prepared for the champion's grappling by training with Charles Oliveira, but Weidman told listeners of the Deep Waters podcast that the Irish contender will crack under pressure, per MMA Junkie.

Weidman's Prediction For Garry Versus Makhachev

"This is going to be a really stressful fight for Ian Garry," Weidman said. "I don't think he's going to be as comfortable because he's going to be [panicking] about the takedown because he sees how good Islam is on the ground, and Islam is going to throw hard on the feet, too."

The former middleweight champion said Garry's best path to victory involves keeping distance and forcing Makhachev into mistakes. Weidman suggested that if the challenger can make the fight slow and frustrate the Dagestani wrestler into overreaching on takedown attempts or strikes, openings might appear.

Makhachev sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings and is expected to rely heavily on wrestling to neutralize Garry's striking. The welterweight title bout takes place at UFC 330.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — UFC Hall of Famer predicts Ian Machado Garry will ‘s— his pants’ dealing with Islam Makhachev at UFC 330