Makhachev celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Islam Makhachev doesn't want to make the same mistakes that have cost UFC stars dearly. The welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg) revealed that the recent defeats of Alex Poatan , Khamzat Chimaev , and Ilia Topuria served as a warning before his title defense against Ian Garry , scheduled for August 15th, in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
In an interview with the American website MMA Junkie, Makhachev explained that the stumbles of other champions reinforced the philosophy adopted by the team led by Khabib Nurmagomedov . According to the Russian, success can never be a reason to reduce the intensity of training, since everyone is held to the same standards within the academy.
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“We talked internally about the fighters who lost. Maybe they lost focus, or maybe they weren’t training, but our academy doesn’t work that way. We always train hard, harder than anyone else. It doesn’t matter if you’re a champion or not, inside the academy we’re all equal, and all the coaches push us a lot,” said Islam Makhachev.
After reinforcing the importance of discipline, the two-time champion also made it clear that he does not intend to underestimate Ian Garry . According to Makhachev, the Irishman will arrive motivated by the chance to win the belt, a factor that makes the preparation even more rigorous to avoid any surprises in the octagon.
Russia vs. Ireland reignites historic rivalry in the UFC.
Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) faces Conor McGregor (right). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC.
UFC 330 will feature a main event: the welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry . Beyond the title bout, the fight also revives a rivalry that marked one of the most emblematic periods in the organization's recent history: Russia versus Ireland.
A disciple of Khabib Nurmagomedov and the leading representative of the Dagestani fighting school today, Makhachev carries on the legacy left by the former undefeated lightweight champion. On the other side, Garry emerges as the main Irish star of the new generation and seeks to repeat the prominence that Conor McGregor brought to the country during his meteoric rise in the event.
Although lacking the personal rivalry that marked the historic confrontation between Khabib and McGregor, the duel puts Russia and Ireland back in the spotlight of the UFC. This time, in addition to national pride, the welterweight title and a prominent position at the highest level of the sport will be at stake.
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