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Makhachev (28-1) is set to defend his welterweight title for the first time against Garry (17-1) in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Makhachev’s friend and mentor, Nurmagomedov, notes that his protégé has never faced an opponent as tall as Garry.
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Why Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Ian Garry is a difficult matchup for Islam Makhachev
Nurmagomedov admits that Garry’s elusive style is a difficult puzzle to crack. “The Eagle” further notes that Makhachev, nearing 35, is six years older than Garry. According to the former unbeaten lightweight champion, the stylistic threat from Garry, combined with the age difference, makes it a difficult matchup for Makhachev.
“We’ve never faced an opponent this tall – 193 cm [6’4″],” Nurmagomedov said on the “Smol Talk” podcast. “We’ll have to chase him, close the distance, grab him, and take him down. It will be a difficult fight. And Islam is almost 35. The stylistic matchup and the age together make this a difficult fight… I expect a hard fight, assuming we don’t get an early finish. Spending five rounds with this opponent won’t be easy. The training camp will be difficult too, first because we have to find someone who can imitate him.”
American Kickboxing Academy founder and head coach of the Dagestani team, Javier Mendez, recently revealed that Professional Fighters League champion Usman Nurmagomedov is helping Makhachev by mimicking Garry in training.
Garry has racked up 10 UFC wins and suffered his lone professional loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is sidelined due to an injury. Meanwhile, Makhachev is undefeated in 16 straight Octagon outings, including six title fights. The latter is tied with Anderson Silva for consecutive UFC wins, and a victory at UFC 330 will see the Dagestani set a new record.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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