Islam Makhachev Offers Huge Prediction For Ian Garry UFC Title Defense

Islam Makhachev will defend his UFC welterweight title in 13 days.

Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (blue gloves) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

UFC Welterweight Champion Islam Makhachev is in his final stages of fight preparation for his first welterweight defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, taking place Saturday, Aug. 15, in Philadelphia, PA, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The UFC began its month in Belgrade, but the promotional narrative quickly shifted to UFC 330 and Makhachev's mindset entering the bout.

The UFC ran a small feature on Makhachev, offering a specifically violent prediction for his fight with Machado Garry.

Islam Makhachev Shares How UFC 330 Main Event Plays Out

IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

"I have the advantage everywhere," Makhachev said. "I'm going to pressure him, hold him, make him tired and finish him. At UFC 330, I will beat Ian Garry inside three rounds."

Islam Makhachev says he's gonna finish Ian Garry inside 3 rounds 👀

"I have the advantage everywhere... I'm going to pressure him, hold him, make him tired and finish him. At UFC 330 I will beat Ian Garry inside three rounds."pic.twitter.com/0Zk3YxbJd0

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 1, 2026

Machado Garry's camp disagrees, of course.

“I'm not going to pick the round, but I don't believe Islam makes it to the fifth,” Diego Lima told Sherdog. “Before then, Ian is going to land a shot that Makhachev will feel, and once that happens, he'll lose his composure.”

Lima said that while Makhachev looked impressive in his welterweight title win against Jack Della Maddalena, Machado Garry has traits that Makhachev hasn't fully been exposed to yet.

Where Ian Machado Garry Has Advantage vs. Islam Makhachev

Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ian Machado Garry during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Besides being extremely versatile, Ian is one of the biggest welterweights on the roster, and for the first time since joining the UFC, he's had a full training camp," Lima said. "Against [Carlos] Prates, he was called two weeks before the fight; against [Shavkat] Rakhmonov, 20 days. This time he was able to train specifically for Islam during two months.”

The extra time to prepare could be a factor, which Lima said the team has fully embraced. He added that it is not an easy fight to pick as it may seem.

“Makhachev is definitely a special fighter. I was really impressed by what he did against Maddalena because he completely changed his fighting style after moving up in weight,” Lima said. “At lightweight, he took more risks and absorbed a lot more strikes. In his welterweight debut against the Australian, he barely got hit for over 25 minutes. It was practically a flawless performance.”

Makhachev's former opponent, Dustin Poirier, who was submitted by the then-lightweight champion at UFC 302 in June 2024, said Machado Garry needs to avoid remaining complacent or depict himself as a moving target.

Dustin Poirier Targets Critical Advice For Machado Garry's Chances vs. Makhachev

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Benoit Saint Denis (blue gloves) fights Dustin Poirier (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"You have to do some kind of damage. You can't just run the whole time throwing a jab and expect to win the round against a guy who's pushing you against the fence," Poirier said on Deep Waters about the fight.

Come fight night, we'll see how accurate the analytical angles actually are in determining the eventual outcome.