Jon Jones has an idea of who he thinks will walk out of UFC 330 with welterweight gold.
Reigning 170-pound titleholder Islam Makhachev is scheduled to attempt his first successful defense in the division when he takes on Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15. The two will compete inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. It’ll be Garry’s first shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Sport24 (video via Red Corner MMA) recently caught up with “Bones” and asked for his opinion on the upcoming 170-pound title bout. Jones believes longtime announcer Bruce Buffer will be yelling, “And still” once UFC 330 reaches its conclusion.
“I’m going with Islam because he has a wrestling background, and it’s very hard to beat wrestlers.” Jones said. “Islam, he may just be one of the greatest fighters in the world. Right now, it’s me and maybe him. So, I encourage him to keep going.”
If Makhachev can thwart Garry’s challenge, then he would earn his 17th win in a row. His lone defeat took place back in 2015. Since then, Makhachev has beaten the likes of Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Jack Della Maddalena. He also scored two wins over Alexander Volkanovski, who is a two-time UFC Featherweight Champion.
Garry built his resume to earn a chance to capture UFC gold with wins over Belal Muhammad, Carlos Prates, and Michael Page. His only setback thus far was against Shavkat Rakhmonov in a competitive five-round bout. Rakhmonov’s injuries have forced him out of the UFC welterweight title picture, which has opened the door for “The Future.”
Do you think Ian Machado Garry has a legit shot to pull off the upset over Islam Makhachev, or are you expecting business as usual for the UFC Welterweight Champion? Drop your own prediction in the comments below.