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 preparing for his first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15, confident in his readiness despite Garry's reputation as a skilled striker and mobile fighter. The Dagestan native, who relocated his training camp to New Jersey, revealed his strategy centers on exploiting Garry's tendency to hit and move constantly throughout bouts.

"His skills, I just have to run in this camp too much because I have to follow him," Makhachev told MMA Fighting at Zufza 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." The two-division champion plans to use his wrestling and grappling—the foundation that has made him the sport's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter—to neutralize Garry's advantages.

Garry has enlisted former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira as a key training partner, though Makhachev dismissed any concern about the partnership. Oliveira faced Makhachev in 2022 and suffered a decisive loss, tapping to an arm-triangle choke in the second round after an early knockdown. "Charles is going to teach him how to tap fast," Makhachev joked. Beyond that, the champion remained focused on the task ahead rather than any broader narrative.

A subplot involves national pride: Garry represents Ireland, while Makhachev's camp—led by coach Khabib Nurmagomedov—has defeated Irish fighters before. Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor in 2018, and Usman Nurmagomedov twice defeated Paul Hughes in the PFL. Makhachev downplayed the rivalry but acknowledged the scorecard. "This is just a regular opponent. It's nothing between countries. But still [we are] 2-0 now, it's going to be 3-0."

With his full team assembled in New Jersey at Nick Catone MMA, including coach Khabib and manager Javier Mendez, Makhachev expressed confidence in his preparation. "Everything is going very well," he said. "We're training everyday very hard to be ready."