Islam Makhachev Surprised By Ian Garry’s Height Difference Ahead Of UFC 330

The Irish fighters keep finding their way to Islam Makhachev, as he is now facing Ian Machado Garry this weekend. He also recently revealed that he was in talks to fight Conor McGregor in boxing, with Turki Al-Sheikh, co-founder of Zuffa Boxing, approaching the Dagestani about a potential boxing match with McGregor.

Meanwhile, Makhachev’s full focus is on Garry first, as the Irish fighter is the biggest threat in front of him right now. Many have pointed out that the 28-year-old’s height and reach could cause real problems for Makhachev, and the champion recently addressed that topic.

Islam Makhachev Couldn’t Believe How Tall Ian Garry Was

Makhachev is 5 feet 10 inches tall, while ‘The Future’ is 6 feet 3 inches. That means Garry is five inches taller. But when they stood face-to-face, Makhachev seemed surprised by how big the height difference actually looked. Talking about it in a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, he said:

“So there was a 10-centimeter height difference, right? He’s not that big. They measured me 10 years ago when I made my debut. I've grown since then.”

It’s also worth remembering that the 34-year-old built his entire legacy at lightweight and has only stepped into the welterweight division once. Garry brings decent wrestling to the table as well, so it won’t be a walk in the park for Makhachev. On top of that, retirement talk has been swirling around the champion, and he has already given fans a hint about where he wants to call it a career.

Islam Makhachev Reveals Where He Wants To Have His Final UFC Fight

Makhachev is 34 now and everyone knows retirement is not too far away. The welterweight champion already has an idea of how he wants to end his career. He wants his final fight to happen in Moscow, where he can take his retirement. Indeed, it would be iconic, as the UFC has never held an event in Russia.

“I’d love to fight in Russia because everybody supports me there and wants to watch my fight. I want to finish my career there and put my gloves down in the Octagon in Moscow," Makhachev said to TMZ Sports.

Fans in Russia would love nothing more than to see that happen, as it would be a truly iconic moment. For now though, fans are backing the Dagestani to get the win at UFC 330 against Garry.