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While Makhachev is the clear betting favorite heading into UFC 330, the Chute Boxe coach believes the betting line fails to reflect just how dangerous Garry will be when the two collide on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
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Why Diego Lima believes Ian Garry’s size, full training camp and all-around game could lead to a knockout of Islam Makhachev
Speaking to Sherdog, Lima weighed in on the upcoming fight between Makhachev and Garry. He acknowledged that Makhachev has looked like a different fighter since moving to 170 pounds, particularly in his dominant title-winning performance against Jack Della Maddalena last year.
“Makhachev is definitely a special fighter. I was really impressed by what he did against Maddalena because he completely changed his fighting style after moving up in weight,” Lima said. “At lightweight he took more risks and absorbed a lot more strikes. In his welterweight debut against the Australian, he barely got hit for over 25 minutes. It was practically a flawless performance.”
Lima then highlighted how Garry is far more well-rounded than Della Maddalena before emphasizing the importance of a full training camp. While many of the Irishman’s high-profile bouts in the UFC have come on short notice, “The Future” has ample time to prepare this time around.
“If people are using the Maddalena fight as a comparison, they should remember that Jack is an excellent boxer, but Ian is one of the most complete fighters in the division,” Lima said. “He is good on boxing, kicking, takedowns and grappling. Besides being extremely versatile, Ian is one of the biggest welterweights on the roster, and for the first time since joining the UFC, he’s had a full training camp. Against Prates, he was called two weeks before the fight; against Rakhmonov, 20 days. This time he was able to train specifically for Islam during two months.”
Lima then gave a prediction, strongly backing Garry, foreseeing a stoppage victory for the former Cage Warriors champ.
“I’m not going to pick the round, but I don’t believe Islam makes it to the fifth,” Lima said. “Before then, Ian is going to land a shot that Makhachev will feel, and once that happens, he’ll lose his composure.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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