UFC analyst Din Thomas says Ian Machado Garry has a knack for figuring out tough styles.
Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) challenges welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
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Machado Garry’s back-to-back wins over Carlos Prates and former champion Belal Muhammad earned him his first UFC title opportunity. Thomas explained why Machado Garry shouldn’t be counted out.
“Ian Garry’s really good, and sometimes we forget how good he is because we want to not like him, because he says things or does things,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “Or when we vilify a fighter, we tend to hang onto that, and we’ve done that with Ian Garry. Whatever he did in the past, we tend to hang onto that and then we also forget how good he really is. He’s got great footwork. He’s got a really high IQ for fighting. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.
“He’s long, he’s rangy, he’s got a lot of experience now. He’s always been getting better along the way, and he’s got wins over guys who could never be figured out. He’s got a win over Michael ‘Venom’ Page. No one could really figure out Michael ‘Venom’ Page; Ian Garry’s got a win over him. Carlos Prates is an absolute killer right now; Ian Garry’s got a win over him. So, the fact that he’s able to find ways to beat guys that nobody else can beat makes him a very dangerous opponent for Islam.”
Machado Garry is a big underdog against Makhachev, who will look to break the record for most consecutive wins in UFC history.
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“I know there were questions to do with do we want to see Islam fight Michael Morales, or do we want to see him fight Carlos Prates? But Ian Garry is a very worthy opponent,” Thomas said. “I would not be surprised to see an upset.”
To hear more from Thomas, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn below.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC analyst: Ian Machado Garry ‘very dangerous’ for Islam Makhachev
