Alexander Volkanovski reveals how he sees Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry playing out

Islam Makhachev is gearing up for his first welterweight title defense. He is set to go against Irish star Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 headliner. The event will go down at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia this weekend. 

As fight week gets underway, several fighters and pundits have shared their predictions for the highly anticipated championship clash. Now, Makhachev's former rival and current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has weighed in, breaking down the matchup and revealing who he expects to leave Philadelphia with the welterweight title.

Alexander Volkanovski Backs Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry

In his recent YouTube video in collaboration with Fight Lab, Volkanovski backed Makhachev to get his hand raised but acknowledged that Garry could find success in certain areas of the fight.

Volkanovski believes Makhachev's grappling could ultimately decide the fight. While he expects Garry to have moments on the feet and against the fence, the Australian thinks the champion will eventually find his way into dominant positions on the ground and eventually get a submission. 

"I think Islam is gonna get the win. He can definitely get the submission finish. I think he can get it to the ground. I can see Ian Garry having success in some of the stand-up, some of the wall work stuff." Volkanovski said. "I think he'll mix it up, trying to stay very low... He's gonna have to play a boring style to be effective and try to do it for 25 minutes. I'm gonna have to go Islam. I think he eventually gets it down; he'll win rounds because of that, and not only that, he can get the finish." 

Check out Alexander Volkanovski’s comments below:

Makhachev's ground game is on another level, as Volkanovski experienced in their first fight at UFC 284, where the Dagestani star won by unanimous decision, although many believed it was a close fight and that the Australian did enough to win.

However, the Dagestani star also possesses dangerous striking, as he demonstrated when he landed a head kick that knocked out the featherweight champion in their rematch at UFC 294.

Meanwhile, UFC welterweight and former opponent of Garry, Carlos Prates, offers a prediction that contradicts Volkanovski's. 

Carlos Prates Predicts Decision Win for Garry Against Makhachev 

Garry faced Carlos Prates back in April last year and secured a unanimous decision victory. Now, Prates has shared his prediction for the UFC 330 main event. He believes the Irishman will take the belt home with a decision victory, but remains skeptical about whether it will be a unanimous or split decision.

“UFC 330, Ian Garry is gonna beat Makhachev by decision. I don’t know if he (will win via) unanimous decision or split decision but it’s gonna be a decision,” Prates said.

As we approach fight night, many have broken down the matchup. Several pundits believe Makhachev's dominant ground game, which he showcased against Jack Della Maddalena in his welterweight title win, could be the key to defeating Garry. That being said, others believe the Irishman's takedown defense and ability to maintain distance could help him secure a decision victory.