Ian Machado Garry Doubles Down on UFC 330 Forecast
At a Tuesday press conference with Eddie Hearn, Ian Machado Garry reiterated earlier claims that he'll finish Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in August.
Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is counting down the days until Aug. 15. That night, the 18-fight veteran will make his 19th appearance in a professional MMA fight and 12th under the UFC promotional banner.
A trip to The Keystone State of Pennsylvania awaits Ian Machado Garry the third weekend of the eighth month of the year and the stakes awaiting him that night couldn't be higher. In the future for the one nicknamed "The Future" is a battle for the UFC Welterweight Championship.
UFC 330's headlining contest is set to pit Ian Machado Garry against current welterweight king Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC.) This fight from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia is a five-round encounter at five minutes per round.
Ian Machado Garry Adds Fuel to Fire with Early Claims
A week ago Sunday, Ian Machado Garry took to the Internet to discuss a possible finish of Islam Makhachev in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15.
"I'm going to bounce him on his skull," Ian Machado Garry said at the time. "I'm going to take his title, I'm going to take his throne."
Going into UFC 330, Islam Makhachev boasts a 16-fight winning streak, placing him in a tie with Anderson Silva for the longest-such run in the history of the company." It's been more than a week since Ian Machado Garry made those comments about his upcoming opponent in the Octagon, and he shows no signs of backing down from that promise.
Ian Machado Garry Renews Promise of Victory Against Islam Makhachev
Recently, Garry signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport Agency, becoming the latest clientele from the UFC to be represented by the firm. Earlier Tuesday, Garry and Hearn took part in a press conference in Dublin, Ireland.
He told the assembled media that anything other than a stoppage win in the championship rounds of the title fight versus Islam Makhachev will be unacceptable in Philadelphia on Aug. 15.
"For me, my ideal scenario, I want a fourth-round finish," Ian Machado Garry said. "I don't want any early knockout, because then there's ifs, buts, maybes, there's excuses."
Ian Machado Garry Hopes UFC 330 Main Event is One-Sided
From there, he doubled down on his prediction of a victory inside the fourth round of a scheduled five in Philly.
"I want four rounds of domination," he continued. "In that fourth round, I'm going to tell everybody, I'm going to do it now, and then I'm going to go in and I'm going to finish him. I'm going to open the door, I'm going to walk him into my traps and take his head clean off my shoulders."
No Knockout Wins in Three Years for Ian Machado Garry
Knockout victories have been hard to come by of late for Ian Machado Garry inside the Octagon. It's been over three years since he's gotten his hand raised in victory after recording a knockout. Garry's May 13, 2023 contest against Daniel Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was stopped midway through the first round of a scheduled three due to a head kick followed by ground and pound.
Since then, Garry has seen all of his fights get decided by way of the judges' scorecards, going 4-2 in that span, including a win via unanimous decision in Qatar last November versus Belal Muhammad (24-6, 1 NC MMA, 15-6, 1 NC UFC.) Whether or not he's able to reverse this trend of fights ending in decisions on Aug. 15 in the UFC 330 main event from Philadelphia remains to be seen.
