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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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1 month ago

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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

Paulo Costa slams UFC ‘double standards,’ questions Alex Pereira ranking

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2 hours ago

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September 7, 2026

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Paulo Costa slams UFC ‘double standards,’ questions Alex Pereira ranking
Paulo
Costa believes the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's policies aren't the same for
every fighter.

Valentina
Shevchenko recently vacated her UFC women's flyweight title to
deal with an injury. Natalia
Silva will now fight Cong Wang for
the vacant flyweight title at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Arena in Salt Lake City. This caused a
stir, as an interim title would be the option in such scenarios,
but Shevchenko vacating the belt has sparked a discussion online
about inconsistent practices on the UFC's part.

Paulo Costa questions why Alex Pereira is ranked No. 4 at
heavyweight

Professional Fighters League women's featherweight champ
Cris
Cyborg recently noted that UFC women's bantamweight champion
Kayla
Harrison has been inactive longer than Shevchenko. Cyborg
argues that if inactivity is the criterion, Harrison should also be
stripped of her title.

Costa supported Cyborg’s claim while slamming the UFC over a
discrepancy in its practices for different fighters. “Borrachinhaâ€
can't comprehend why former light heavyweight champion Alex
Pereira is ranked in the UFC's official heavyweight rankings
despite having never won at heavyweight.

“Yeah it’s really inconvenient; the UFC doesn't have a consistent
standard of behavior or set of rules—they use double standards all
the time,†Costa wrote on X. “Another thing is, why on earth is
Alex still ranked at Light Heavyweight after fighting and losing at
Heavyweight? And why is he ranked 4th at Heavyweight without a
single win there—ahead of [Josh
Hokit]?â€

Pereira (13-4) vacated his light heavyweight title earlier this
year and moved up to heavyweight, where he came up short against
Ciryl
Gane in a bid for the interim title at
UFC Freedom 250. Meanwhile, Costa (16-4) has been accusing the
UFC of not offering him a suitable matchup for the last remaining
fight on his current contract.

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MMA

Brian Ortega claims UFC avoids fighters who could ‘whoop us’

Published

3 hours ago

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September 7, 2026

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Brian Ortega claims UFC avoids fighters who could ‘whoop us’
Brian
Ortega believes some fighters outside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship are among the best in the
world.

The former UFC title challenger has been training with A.J. McKee,
who is set to challenge Rajabali
Shaidullaev for the
Rizin featherweight title and the vacant
Professional Fighters League featherweight title at Super
Rizin 5 on Sept. 5 in Osaka, Japan.

Brian Ortega says elite fighters outside the UFC can humble its
roster

McKee and Ortega have been working together in preparation for
their upcoming bouts, with the latter set to return at UFC
331. “T-City†recently lauded the former Bellator
champion's elite skill set and believes that some UFC fighters
would get humbled by fighters from other promotions. According to
Ortega, the UFC doesn't sign some fighters because it understands
the threat they pose.

“The UFC is just a marketing machine,†Ortega said on Anatomy of a
Fighter. “There [are] people outside [the UFC] that would whoop us,
and they know it. They are not inviting them. There are people who
dedicate their lives to this and you see it. There's no faking
technique and skill; the heart and even the mindset… I know [McKee]
knows what he is doing and he is at the highest level.â€

Ortega (16-5) will look to rebound from two losses when he runs it
back with Renato
“Money†Moicano (21-7) at UFC
331 on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Meanwhile,
McKee (25-2) is on a three-fight winning streak going into his
clash against the undefeated Shaidullev (19-0), who has a 100%
finishing rate.

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MMA

Youssef Zalal confirms Factory X exit, talks with Trevor Wittman

Published

4 hours ago

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September 7, 2026

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Youssef Zalal confirms Factory X exit, talks with Trevor Wittman
Youssef
Zalal has split from his longtime gym, Factory
X.

Zalal has trained at Factory X in Englewood, Colorado, for most of
his professional career. However, “The Moroccan Devil†was recently
seen training at ONX with Trevor Wittman, the longtime coach of

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Justin
Gaethje.

Youssef Zalal explains why he left Factory X and is talking to
Trevor Wittman

Zalal (18-6-1) has since confirmed that he has parted ways with
Factory X. He admits that Factory X head coach Marc Montoya has
been a father figure to him throughout his career. However, Zalal
believes he needs to look elsewhere for further growth at this
stage in his career.

“I had my little situations with my team,†Zalal told MMA Junkie.
“Few changes happened. It's a lot crazier on my side. I'm
definitely no longer fighting from Factory X. Marc Montoya has
obviously been nothing but a father figure, a mentor, for almost
all my life… As a kid, I've grown in the program and that kind of
changed. Where I'm at in my life, I still need growth… Trevor is
the guy I'm talking to right now.â€

Zalal's forgettable first UFC stint ended in 2022 with a 3-3-1
record. He returned to the UFC in 2024 and went undefeated in five
straight outings, with four finishes, before losing to Aljamain
Sterling this past April.

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