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Demian Maia has helped Ian Machado Garry grow leaps and bounds in his grappling.
Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) challenges welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 330 main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
Since working with Maia, Machado Garry has shown off his improved grappling – especially when he stuffed all seven of former champion Belal Muhammad's takedowns en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC Fight Night 265.
"Islam presents problems to everyone," Maia said on UFC Countdown. "He has good striking, but mainly, Islam's strength is his grappling game: great takedowns, great variations on the ground, different kinds of submissions. Makhachev will take advantage of any mistake that you do with your elbow, with your leg, with your hips in the wrong direction – he will get you.
"So everything that I do is to make sure he doesn't make these mistakes. But Ian is a very smart fighter. He understands that the most obvious advantage is his striking and control of distance. That's why he has the tools to be the champion."
Machado Garry is a big underdog against Makhachev, who will look to break the UFC record for most consecutive victories.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Demian Maia: 'Very smart fighter' Ian Machado Garry has tools to become UFC champ
Continue reading...
Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) challenges welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 330 main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
Since working with Maia, Machado Garry has shown off his improved grappling – especially when he stuffed all seven of former champion Belal Muhammad's takedowns en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC Fight Night 265.
"Islam presents problems to everyone," Maia said on UFC Countdown. "He has good striking, but mainly, Islam's strength is his grappling game: great takedowns, great variations on the ground, different kinds of submissions. Makhachev will take advantage of any mistake that you do with your elbow, with your leg, with your hips in the wrong direction – he will get you.
"So everything that I do is to make sure he doesn't make these mistakes. But Ian is a very smart fighter. He understands that the most obvious advantage is his striking and control of distance. That's why he has the tools to be the champion."
Machado Garry is a big underdog against Makhachev, who will look to break the UFC record for most consecutive victories.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Demian Maia: 'Very smart fighter' Ian Machado Garry has tools to become UFC champ
Continue reading...
