Diego
Lima believes Ian Garry
will shock the MMA world by knocking out Islam
Makhachev in their upcoming title fight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
While Makhachev is the clear betting favorite heading into UFC
330, the
Chute Boxe coach believes the betting line fails to reflect
just how dangerous Garry will be when the two collide on Aug. 15 at
Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Advertisement
Why Diego Lima believes Ian Garry’s size, full training camp
and all-around game could lead to a knockout of Islam
Makhachev
Speaking to Sherdog, Lima weighed in on the upcoming fight between
Makhachev and Garry. He acknowledged that Makhachev has looked like
a different fighter since moving to 170 pounds, particularly in his
dominant title-winning performance against Jack
Della Maddalena last year.
“Makhachev is definitely a special fighter. I was really impressed
by what he did against Maddalena because he completely changed his
fighting style after moving up in weight,” Lima said. “At
lightweight he took more risks and absorbed a lot more strikes. In
his welterweight debut against the Australian, he barely got hit
for over 25 minutes. It was practically a flawless
performance.”
Lima then highlighted how Garry is far more well-rounded than Della
Maddalena before emphasizing the importance of a full training
camp. While many of the Irishman’s high-profile bouts in the UFC
have come on short notice, “The Future” has ample time to prepare
this time around.
“If people are using the Maddalena fight as a comparison, they
should remember that Jack is an excellent boxer, but Ian is one of
the most complete fighters in the division,” Lima said. “He is good
on boxing, kicking, takedowns and grappling. Besides being
extremely versatile, Ian is one of the biggest welterweights on the
roster, and for the first time since joining the UFC, he’s had a
full training camp. Against Prates, he was called two weeks before
the fight; against Rakhmonov, 20 days. This time he was able to
train specifically for Islam during two months.”
Lima then gave a prediction, strongly backing Garry, foreseeing a
stoppage victory for the former
Cage Warriors champ.
“I’m not going to pick the round, but I don’t believe Islam makes
it to the fifth,” Lima said. “Before then, Ian is going to land a
shot that Makhachev will feel, and once that happens, he’ll lose
his composure.”