Charles Oliveira: Ian Machado Garry has ‘very good chance’ of beating Islam Makhachev at UFC 330

Charles Oliveira believes his teammate Ian Machado Garry has a legitimate shot at dethroning Islam Makhachev when they meet for the UFC welterweight title on August 15 in Philadelphia at UFC 330.

Garry earned his title opportunity after defeating former champion Belal Muhammad in November 2025 and has been in focused preparation for the matchup ever since learning of his next opponent. Makhachev, meanwhile, enters the bout riding a dominant streak and will have the chance to break Anderson Silva's UFC record for the longest consecutive winning streak (currently 16 victories) if victorious at UFC 331.

The Russian champion has compiled an impressive résumé at lightweight, defeating all-time greats Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and Oliveira before moving up to welterweight and stopping Jack Della Maddalena just prior to Garry's win over Muhammad. Despite Makhachev's formidable credentials, Oliveira emphasized that Garry possesses the tools to upset the champion.

"Ian truly has a very good chance of beating Makhachev," Oliveira told MMA Fighting, stressing that his assessment stems not from friendship but from Garry's strategic approach and preparation. Oliveira noted that Makhachev "deserves all the respect in the world" and remains "extremely difficult to deal with inside the cage," yet he views Garry's methodical fighting style as a potential antidote.

Oliveira and his Chute Boxe team in São Paulo have previously trained alongside Makhachev, knowledge they have leveraged in preparing Garry for the title shot. Oliveira highlighted Garry's discipline and commitment to game planning as his greatest strength, explaining that his teammate's willingness to adhere strictly to strategy throughout an entire fight sets him apart from other competitors. With months of focused training already logged, Garry enters Philadelphia as a well-prepared challenger ready to dethrone the undefeated champion.