SerpApi.Org
Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Demian Maia thinks Ian Garry has the tools to shock Islam Makhachev when the two meet for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 next month.
Garry challenges Makhachev on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, per Sherdog. The Irishman enters the bout 17-1, facing a champion widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion. Makhachev holds a 28-1 record and opened as a minus-300 favorite.
Maia has worked closely with Garry since the two met at a Barcelona seminar in 2023. The submission specialist recently spent several days with Garry in Spain, drilling takedown defense and grappling sequences ahead of the title shot. Garry then returned to England to complete his camp with his jiu-jitsu coach John Hathaway, a former UFC welterweight.
Why Maia believes Garry can exploit Makhachev's style
Observers point to Garry's frame, takedown defense, and cardio as reasons the matchup might trouble Makhachev. Maia sees something else. "I think his biggest strength is his fight IQ," Maia told Sherdog's Marcelo Alonso. "Garry reads his opponents extremely well and knows how to adapt." Maia pointed to Garry's win over Carlos Prates last year, when the Irishman executed a takedown variation Maia had shown him during fight week. "He executed it perfectly about 10 times during the fight," Maia said.
Still, Maia acknowledged the size of the task. He said Makhachev's grappling skill could hold up in elite no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition and called the Dagestani one of the greatest fighters of all time. Maia will be in Garry's corner on fight night alongside Diego Lima, Hathaway, and Paulo Mauricio Strauch.
Reported via:
- Sherdog — Demian Maia explains what makes Ian Garry a threat to Islam Makhachev
