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Islam Makhachev reveals his game plan for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330: ‘I have to follow him, he runs too much’

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Islam Makhachev reveals his game plan for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330: ‘I have to follow him, he runs too much’

Islam Makhachev is counting down the days to his first title defense as welterweight champion, and he's confident he's ready for whatever Ian Machado Garry throws at him.

As he gets ready for UFC 330 on Aug. 15, Makhachev and his team relocated to New Jersey for final preparations as the Dagestan native seeks to build on his remarkable resume where he's already a two-division champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. While he didn't want to give away too many secrets, Makhachev is confident enough to expose at least part of his game plan, which is based on scouting Garry and his tendency to hit and move constantly during his fight.

“His skills, I just have to run in this camp too much because I have to follow him,†Makhachev told MMA Fighting at Zuffa Boxing 9. “He runs too much. I know his game plan. We always see his fights.

“He has the same style always. I will try to catch him, take him down, just what I did with my old opponents.â€

One potential advantage that Garry might have going into the fight is that he counts former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira as one of his main teammates and training partners. Of course, Oliveira faced Makhachev back in 2022, although he had a rough night at the office in their only encounter.

Makhachev scored an early knockdown on the Brazilian and eventually wrapped up a win with a nasty arm-triangle choke that forced Oliveira to tap out in the second round. That's why the reigning UFC welterweight champion isn't too concerned that Oliveira has any real knowledge to add to Garry's strategy by the time they make it to UFC 330.

“Charles is going to teach him how to tap fast,†Makhachev joked. “That's it.â€

While Garry is well known for trash-talking his opponents, Makhachev clearly hasn't been paying much attention because the fight is all business for him and nothing personal.

A potential storyline heading into fight week could be Garry trying to secure a measure of revenge for his native Ireland after two of his countrymen fell short going up against members of Makhachev's camp in the past.

Makhachev's coach and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov famously dismantled Conor McGregor back in 2018 before securing a fourth-round submission win. Usman Nurmagomedov also did his part with a pair of wins over Paul Hughes in the PFL.

So truth be told, Makhachev doesn't really see this as some kind of country vs. country rivalry, although he definitely knows the scoreboard thus far.

“This is just a regular opponent,†Makhachev said. “It's nothing between countries. But still [we are] 2-0 now, it's going to be 3-0.â€

With training camp almost over, Makhachev promises he's left no stone unturned and his team has put everything together necessary for him to make a successful title defense at UFC 330.

“Everything is going very well,†Makhachev said. “We stay in the same gym the last couple of fights. We stay in New Jersey and training at Nick Catone MMA, it's a very nice gym. I have too many of my brothers and friends and sparring partners, almost all the team is here, we're training together.

“Khabib is here. Javier [Mendez] is here. We're training everyday very hard to be ready.â€

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MMA

Jean Silva’s Israel trip puts loyalty, fighting and politics in the spotlight

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2 minutes ago

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July 27, 2026

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Jean Silva’s Israel trip puts loyalty, fighting and politics in the spotlight
Jean
Silva won't desert his teammate out of fear of getting
embroiled in controversy.

Silva's
Fighting Nerds teammate Ilay
Barzilay (7-1) is from Israel, and like some athletes from the
country, Barzilay is facing backlash amidst the ongoing
Israel-Palestine conflict. Barzilay is scheduled to fight Lucas
Almeida (15-5) at
Gordon Fight Nights 1 on July 27 at Menorah Mivtachim Arena in
Tel Aviv and Silva is set to corner Barzilay for his upcoming
fight.

A fan recently noted that Silva being in the Israeli capital will
likely see him be labeled a ‘Zionist' in Brazil. However, the

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight refused to part
ways with his longtime teammate. “Lord†also says that he had to go
to Israel as none of their other Fighting Nerds teammates could
make it. The Brazilian also believes a win over Almeida could earn
Barzilay a spot on
Dana White's Contender Series.

“I’m here 100% because of the fight of the Fighting Nerds fighter
Illay, who’s one of my main sparring partners,†Silva wrote on X.
“Nobody could make it, and this fight could take him to the
contender series. He shows up for all my fights, I knew it was
gonna be controversial but I chose not to ditch my brother of many
years. I know the hate that’s already going around with me about
this, but I didn’t wanna abandon my partner of years in one of the
most important fights of his life because of hate.â€

Barzilay is coming off his lone career loss in a failed
Legacy Fighting Alliance lightweight title bid against Richie
Miranda last August. Meanwhile, his upcoming opponent, Almeida,
went 2-4 in the UFC and was released this past February on a
two-fight slump.



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UFC champion Carlos Ulberg has plan to fix light heavyweight division

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1 hour ago

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July 27, 2026

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UFC champion Carlos Ulberg has plan to fix light heavyweight division
Carlos
Ulberg has a pitch for how the
Ultimate Fighting Championship should handle the light
heavyweight title mix.

The reigning champion believes none of the division’s top-ranked
contenders have done enough to earn a title shot, so he proposed a
solution, essentially laying out a four-man tournament to determine
his next opponent.

Carlos Ulberg's UFC matchmaking idea targets Magomed Ankalaev,
Jiri Prochazka and more

Ulberg took on the role of a matchmaker and offered some
suggestions for how the top of the division should be matched up to
determine the next title challenger in a new Instagram post. This
came shortly after Magomed
Ankalaev’s win at
UFC Abu Dhabi, where the Kiwi was in attendance.

“After last night’s fights, here’s my thoughts,” Ulberg wrote on
Instagram. “Ankalaev vs. Jiri. Give them both full camps. It’s a
fight the division deserves, and stylistically, it’s one the fans
would love to see. Costa vs. Rountree. That’s a wildcard. High
risk, high reward. Someone’s leaving with serious momentum. By the
time the dust settles, I’ll be ready. Whoever earns it. See you in
2027.”

Ulberg is currently sidelined with an ACL injury he suffered in his
title-winning effort against Jiri
Prochazka in April. “Black Jag†is yet to reveal a timeline for
his return. Notably, UFC CEO Dana
White previously suggested that an interim title could be up
for grabs while Ulberg completes his recovery.


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MMA

Magomed Ankalaev sets condition for Paulo Costa UFC fight

Published

3 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

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Magomed Ankalaev sets condition for Paulo Costa UFC fight
Magomed
Ankalaev will only take on Paulo Costa
if the Brazilian is ready to bring the fight to him.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
took on Bogdan
Guskov in the main event of
UFC Abu Dhabi. Guskov had stepped up on two weeks' notice after
Ankalaev's original opponent, Khalil
Rountree, pulled out due to an injury. Ankalaev dominated
Guskov in a slow-paced bout before finishing him in the final round
with ground-and-pound.

Now back in the win column, the Russian has addressed his next
bout.

Magomed Ankalaev says Paulo Costa fight depends on pressure and
forward movement

Ankalaev defended his recent performance against critics who found
it lackluster. He says that Guskov was backing up even though he
kept pressing forward.

“It wasn't up to me whether the fight would be boring or not,â€
Ankalaev told Red Corner MMA. “I was pressing forward, I wanted to
fight. But my opponent started working on the back foot and
constantly running from me. So, then I decided to start wrestling
and finish him on the ground.â€

Costa was among those who found the fight boring, vowing to save
the light heavyweight division from monotony.

“By the power of the Almighty, I shall save this weight class from
monotony and boredom,†Costa wrote on X.

Costa (16-4) is coming off wins over Roman
Kopylov and the previously undefeated Azamat
Murzakanov, labeling himself a “Russian killer†as he sets his
sights on Ankalaev.

“One Russian killer against tedious fights,†he wrote in a
follow-up post.

Ankalaev (21-2) is ready to fight Costa if the former middleweight
title contender comes forward and doesn't constantly remain on the
back foot as Guskov did.

“Costa didn't perform in his division, then moved up, won a single
fight, and got loud,†Ankalaev said. “If he's ready to press
forward, we'll be waiting for him. But if he's going to run and shy
away, I see no point in fighting him.â€



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