Ian Machado Garry is aiming for more than just a championship victory at UFC 330. The Irish contender wants a performance that leaves no room for debate when he challenges Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title.
Rather than ending the fight in an instant, Garry says he wants to control the action before delivering the finish.
Garry wants to leave no room for excuses
Speaking on Instagram, Garry explained that an early knockout could allow critics to dismiss the result as a lucky moment. Instead, he is targeting a one-sided performance that builds toward a late stoppage.
“My ideal scenario? I want a fourth-round finish,”
“I don’t want any early knockout because then there’s ifs, buts, maybes. ‘Ah, there’s excuses.’ I want four rounds of domination.”
Garry believes that once he has established complete control, he will call his shot before ending the fight.
“And in that fourth round, I’m going to tell everybody: I’m going to do it now.”
“And then I’m going to go in there and finish him. I’m going to open the door, I’m going to walk him into my traps, and I’m going to take his head clean off his shoulders.”
Championship clash set for UFC 330
Makhachev will defend the welterweight title against Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The reigning champion moved up from lightweight after vacating the 155-pound belt and claimed the welterweight crown by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Makhachev enters the fight riding a 16-fight winning streak, tying former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for one of the longest streaks in promotional history.
Garry heads into his first UFC title opportunity with a 17-1 professional record. His lone defeat came against the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov, but he has since responded with consecutive victories over Carlos Prates and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad to secure his shot at UFC gold.