Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Khabib
Nurmagomedov believes Islam
Makhachev is in for a tricky outing against Ian
Garry.
Makhachev (28-1) is set to defend his welterweight title for the
first time against Garry (17-1) in the main event of UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Makhachev’s friend and mentor, Nurmagomedov, notes that his protégé
has never faced an opponent as tall as Garry.
Why Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Ian Garry is a difficult
matchup for Islam Makhachev
Nurmagomedov admits that Garry’s elusive style is a difficult
puzzle to crack. “The Eagle” further notes that Makhachev, nearing
35, is six years older than Garry. According to the former unbeaten
lightweight champion, the stylistic threat from Garry, combined
with the age difference, makes it a difficult matchup for
Makhachev.
“We’ve never faced an opponent this tall – 193 cm [6’4″],”
Nurmagomedov said on the “Smol Talk” podcast. “We’ll have to chase
him, close the distance, grab him, and take him down. It will be a
difficult fight. And Islam is almost 35. The stylistic matchup and
the age together make this a difficult fight… I expect a hard
fight, assuming we don’t get an early finish. Spending five rounds
with this opponent won’t be easy. The training camp will be
difficult too, first because we have to find someone who can
imitate him.”
American Kickboxing Academy founder and head coach of the
Dagestani team, Javier Mendez, recently revealed that
Professional Fighters League champion Usman
Nurmagomedov is helping Makhachev by mimicking Garry in
training.
Garry has racked up 10 UFC wins and suffered his lone professional
loss to Shavkat
Rakhmonov, who is sidelined due to an injury. Meanwhile,
Makhachev is undefeated in 16 straight Octagon outings, including
six title fights. The latter is tied with Anderson
Silva for consecutive UFC wins, and a victory at UFC 330 will
see the Dagestani set a new record.