Dana White criticizes Ian Machado Garry's lack of ‘killer instinct’ after UFC 330 loss to Islam Makhachev
Dana White criticized Ian Machado Garry's lack of killer instinct after his UFC 330 loss to Islam Makhachev and questioned his fifth-round approach.
On a historic night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Islam Makhachev defended his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event this Saturday.
In the immediate aftermath, UFC CEO Dana White criticized Garry for lacking the killer instinct fighters need heading into the final round of a title fight and believes that ultimately cost him the belt.
Dana White believes Ian Machado Garry lacked killer instinct against Islam Makhachev
Makhachev dominated the first round and landed a head kick in the second that dropped Garry. The Irishman quickly got back to his feet but appeared wobbly. The champion then easily secured a takedown and moved into top position, but he was unable to finish the fight.
Garry bounced back in the third round, finding some success in the striking exchanges. He landed a leg kick that caught Makhachev's attention, although he couldn't produce any significant damage.
In the fourth round, Makhachev secured another takedown and pressed Garry against the cage, spending most of the round controlling the challenger. Garry continued landing short strikes to Makhachev's body and face, making the round competitive and difficult to score.
Entering the fifth round, many believed the fight was either tied 2-2 or that Makhachev was ahead 3-1. Makhachev and Garry showed a moment of sportsmanship as they shook hands and touched gloves to start the final round. The champion quickly secured a takedown and took the challenger's back. He remained in control, landing strikes while looking for opportunities to set up a submission.
After a five-round battle, the judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of Makhachev. The Dagestani star won a unanimous decision victory to retain his welterweight title.
In the post-event press conference, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about Garry's performance. He praised the Irishman's takedown defense but criticized him for lacking the killer instinct fighters need, particularly after he repeatedly targeted Makhachev's body throughout the fight.
“I mean, if you look at his takedown defense tonight against Islam, it was impressive. I felt like Ian is a talented guy,” White said. “If he had even an ounce of killer instinct in that fifth round, you know, he had been beating him to the body. His whole. I think Islam's whole right side was beat up. His face was beat up.”
Dana White questions Ian Machado Garry's decision to shake hands before the fifth round
White was particularly critical of the sportsmanship between the two fighters at the beginning of the final round. He believes Garry may look back at the fight and regret not taking more chances when he had the opportunity.
“You don't come out and hug and shake hands in the fifth. That drives me crazy. When there's so much at stake, and there's also, you know, a lot of mental gamesmanship, whatever you want to call it in this game. You come out in that fifth round with a flying knee or something crazy, and you try to finish the fight. I think that this is one of those fights that Ian will go back and watch and say, F**k, wish I could do that over again," White added.
Check out Dana White's comments below:
With the victory, Makhachev etched his name in the UFC history books by setting the promotion's longest winning streak. His 17th consecutive UFC victory surpassed Anderson Silva's previous record of 16 straight wins.
