Craig
Jones has laid out how Ian Machado
Garry can avoid getting smothered by Islam
Makhachev.
Makhachev (28-1) and Garry (17-1) square off on Aug. 15 at Xfinity
Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, where the
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title will be on
the line in the UFC
330 main event. The Russian champion is a massive betting
favorite owing to his grappling prowess and Jones recently broke
down how the Irish challenger should deal with the wrestling
offense coming his way.
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Craig Jones points out the key to handling Islam Makhachev’s
takedowns
In a recent video posted to the B-Team YouTube channel, Jones
dissected how defensive positioning is the key to stuffing
Makhachev’s takedowns. In a technical breakdown of the matchup, the
Australian focused on the champion’s single-leg entries and the
importance of what happens when he gets hold of an opponent’s
leg.
Jones claims that rather than simply wrapping up a single leg and
driving forward, Makhachev can get extremely deep with his elbow,
pulling the leg toward his body as he closes the distance with his
hips. While this has turned out to be unavoidable for some of the
former lightweight champ’s past opponents, Garry has a tendency
that’ll benefit him come fight night.
Jones pointed to Garry’s tendency to keep his free foot on the
inside when defending takedowns, comparing the position to a
defensive concept associated with former UFC champion B.J. Penn. The
positioning can essentially turn the foot into a butterfly hook in
case of a takedown.
However, the position comes with risks. According to Jones, keeping
the foot inside provides a stronger frame, but it also gives
Makhachev avenues to attack the ankle or manipulate the framing
leg.
Notably, Jones has game-planned for Makhachev several times
previously, having worked with Alexander
Volkanovski and Jack
Della Maddalena in preparation for the Dagestani.