Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Ian Machado Garry during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is certain Ian Machado Garry will finally end Islam Makhachev’s dominance at UFC 330. The Brazilian insists his prediction is based on Machado’s skill set and preparation, not on the fact that they are teammates.
Ian Machado Garry is all set for the biggest opportunity of his UFC career as he headlines UFC 330 against reigning welterweight champion Makhachev. However, being a former champion himself, Oliveira is well aware that getting a crack at the title is one thing and winning it is definitely another.
That’s especially true if it’s Makhachev who’s standing on the other side of the Octagon, but Oliveira doesn’t seem too worried for Garry.
Charles Oliveira says he has no bias, just facts, while hyping Ian Machado Garry over Islam Makhachev at UFC 330
Despite Makhachev’s reputation, Oliveira believes Machado Garry has a legitimate path to victory. Speaking with MMA Fighting, “Do Bronx” described Machado Garry as a hard-working contender who has the makings of a UFC champion.
Oliveira pointed to Machado Garry’s remarkable progress, having watched “The Future” train firsthand. Even though they are both representing the Chute Boxe fighting team in Brazil, Oliveira claims no bias in his assessment of Machado Garry as a fighter.
“Ian truly has a very good chance of beating Makhachev,” Oliveira said. “I’m not saying that because he’s my friend or because he’s part of our team, but because of what we’ve seen and how he’s been training.”
“We know there’s an incredibly tough guy on the other side, someone who deserves all the respect in the world. He’s humble when promoting a fight, but he’s extremely difficult to deal with inside the cage. He’s outstanding, a really tough fighter. But honestly, in my opinion, Ian has a great chance of winning, because he’s such a strategic fighter and never abandons the game plan.”
Oliveira didn’t break it down to the intricate details, but he put an emphasis on Garry’s ground game.
“He knows the weapons he has, and he knows the quality of his jiu-jitsu,” Oliveira added.
Oliveira admires Garry’s preparation
Apart from Garry’s arsenal, Oliveira also highlighted what he believes is Garry’s biggest advantage heading into the title bout against Makhachev, as the former champ says he has long been preparing for this matchup both physically and mentally.
“He’s really happy to have this opportunity to fight for the title,” Oliveira disclosed. “And I think the most important thing is that, ever since he won his last fight, Ian already knew he was next. He already knew who his opponent was going to be. So Ian didn’t just start this training camp now, he’s been in camp and focused on this fight for a long time already. Ian keeps getting better every day. He’s happier. He understands the opportunity in front of him.”
Both Makhachev and Garry are coming off impressive wins. Garry earned his long-awaited title shot after a win over former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. On the other hand, Makhachev continues to reinforce his status as one of the promotion’s most dominant champions, having gone unbeaten in his last 16 fights under the UFC banner.
Makhachev will defend his welterweight belt for the first time after snatching it from Jack Della Maddalena in his 170-pound debut at UFC 322.