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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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3 weeks 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

Next up? Islam Makhachev names most deserving title challenger

Published

1 hour ago

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August 17, 2026

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Next up? Islam Makhachev names most deserving title challenger
Islam
Makhachev has named the ideal next challenger for his
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title.

Makhachev retained his belt with a hard-fought victory over
Ian
Garry at UFC
330 in Philadelphia. The Russian revealed that Carlos
Prates is the preferred next opponent after recording his first
title defense at welterweight.

Islam Makhachev backs Carlos Prates for next UFC welterweight
title shot

Prates and Michael
Morales, who were both in attendance at UFC 330, are in the
running for the next title shot, with Makhachev believing the
Brazilian currently has the stronger case. He dismissed Shavkat
Rakhmonov, who's been sidelined with injuries since December
2024, and Morales, who hasn't been as active as Prates.

“If you ask me today, Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is not fighting; Prates
is still fighting, still active,†Makhachev said during the
Paramount+ post-fight show. “Morales also is good, but I don't
remember the last time he fought. If you ask who is more deserving,
I think Carlos Prates.â€

Morales and Rakhmonov are both unbeaten, while Prates holds a
record of 24-7. The latter's last loss came against Garry in April
2025, but he has remained active since then, picking up finishes
against Geoff Neal
and two former champs: Leon
Edwards and Jack
Della Maddalena.

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MMA

Mackenzie Dern names three potential opponents following UFC 330 win

Published

2 hours ago

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August 17, 2026

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Mackenzie Dern names three potential opponents following UFC 330 win
Mackenzie
Dern has already started looking ahead after defending her

Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

Dern (17-5) thoroughly outclassed Gillian
Robertson at UFC
330, using her grappling to secure a unanimous decision and
retain the strawweight belt in Philadelphia. She's now name-dropped
who could be next in line for a title shot.

Mackenzie Dern names Weili Zhang, Tatiana Suarez and Lupita
Godinez as possible UFC title challengers

When asked in a post-fight interview who she could face next, Dern
initially admitted she's unsure. She claimed the next challenger
for the 115-pound throne could be Tatiana
Suarez (12-1), Lupita
Godinez (14-6), or former champ Weili Zhang
(26-4).

“I know there's Tatiana, Weili… Who else? Lupita could be coming up
pretty soon,†Dern said.

Godinez is unlikely next in line, having lost three of her last
five bouts. Moreover, the Mexican contender has already lost to
Dern.

Suarez previously challenged for UFC gold, losing to Zhang in
February last year. The former then bounced back with two wins,
beating Amanda
Lemos and Godinez. Meanwhile, Zhang vacated the title after
beating Suarez to challenge for the women's flyweight title, but
lost to current 125-pound queen Valentina
Shevchenko.

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MMA

Ian Machado Garry sends defiant message after Islam Makhachev defeat

Published

3 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Ian Machado Garry sends defiant message after Islam Makhachev defeat
Ian
Garry has no intention of dwelling on his failed title bid in
the
Ultimate Fighting Championship against Islam
Makhachev.

Garry came up short against Makhachev in the UFC
330 main event in Philadelphia, dropping a unanimous decision
after a hard-fought five-round battle. The Russian retained the
welterweight championship and extended his winning streak in the
UFC to 17 straight victories, a new record. Nevertheless, the
challenger is encouraged by his performance and what the future
holds for him.

Ian Garry addresses UFC 330 loss and promises to come back
stronger

Garry believes his performance against Makhachev showed that he
belongs at the highest level of the sport.

“Tonight wasn't my night,†Garry said on Instagram. “I feel great,
I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight and that's OK. I
want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do
better; I want you to know that I'm going to be back.â€

The former
Cage Warriors champ then emphasized that he's yet to enter his
prime and still pushed the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter to the
limit.

“I'm not disheartened by this,†Garry continued. “I'm bulletproof
in my mind. I'm 28 years of age; I just fought maybe the greatest
fighter we've ever seen in this sport and I pushed him to the
f*cking wire and I'm so proud of myself and I'm so proud of my team
and everything that we've done. I'm so proud of what I've done in
this world and who I've become. Nobody's stopping me. Tonight was
not my night.â€

Garry then congratulated Makhachev before revealing his excitement
in future matchups.

“Islam, your team, congratulations,†he added. “Your guys did
amazing. I have nothing but love and respect for everything you
guys have done in this sport; I said that to you. I'll be back.
There's plenty of matchups in this sport, plenty of fun matchups
that I'm excited for. We'll be back and we'll be better than ever.
I love you all, let's go, baby.â€

The defeat marks just the second loss of Garry’s career. He began
his professional career 15-0, winning his first eight UFC bouts
before suffering his first defeat against Shavkat
Rakhmonov. Garry bounced back with wins over Belal
Muhammad and Carlos
Prates before earning his title shot.

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