“He’s Not Irish Bro”: Islam Makhachev Takes Sledge at Ian Machado Garry
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Islam Makhachev has just called out Ian Garry for supposedly not being Irish, and the reason he gave will have fans laughing exactly like Daniel Cormier, who interviewed him.
Islam Makhachev loves questioning the legitimacy of things, from Dustin Poirier's BJJ black belt to Ian Garry's Irish heritage. Heading into his main event fight against Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, the pound-for-pound king decided to attack his challenger’s identity, claiming Garry basically gave up his Irish card.
Sitting down with Daniel Cormier for a pre-fight chat, Makhachev completely shot down the idea that this is a classic Dagestan vs. Ireland matchup.
“Bro he's not Irish bro,” Makhachev said deadpan.
DC was caught totally off guard and asked him what he meant. Makhachev didn't hesitate, pointing right at Garry’s training camp with Chute Boxe in Brazil and his marriage to Layla Anna-Lee.
“He speak for Brazil, he train in Brazil, his family from Brazil,” Makhachev joked. “I don't know when he was last time in Irish bro. He training with Brazilian team, finish bro. When he become married, no more Irish.”
Throwing Heat Before Fight Night
It’s classic dry humor from Makhachev, but Garry definitely won't let it slide. The 28-year-old Dublin native came into the UFC following Conor McGregor's blueprint, flying the Irish flag high everywhere he went.
Even if Makhachev refuses to call him Irish, he still has a serious fight on his hands. Garry comes in with a sharp 17-1 record and a four-inch reach advantage over the champion. UFC stats show Garry landing 4.78 significant strikes per minute, making his long-range striking a legit threat.
Beating Makhachev, however, is a whole different beast. The 34-year-old champion is in his prime at the moment and has not been beaten in his last 16 fights. On top of that, his wrestling is world-class, averaging 3.10 takedowns per 15 minutes with a crazy 91 percent takedown defense rate.
Garry has traded plenty of verbal jabs leading into the fight, even claiming Makhachev wore high heels to look taller during their first face-off. But Makhachev's take on Garry’s heritage definitely stung. Whether Garry is able to respond in kind will only be seen this weekend. So tune in to UFC 330 this Saturday night to see who gets the last laugh.
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