UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev will make the first defense of his 170-pound title when he tangles with No. 1-ranked Ian Garry atop the upcoming UFC 330 fight card on Paramount+, scheduled for Sat., Aug. 15, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Garry is the betting underdog for their five-round showdown, but still “poses a serious threat” to Mackhachev because of his “excellent” takedown defense. That’s according to UFC CEO Dana White, who recently told The Mac Life
that UFC 330 could feature a possible upset.
“The Future” tried to warn us.
“I think it’s a great fight, actually,” White said. “If you look at what Ian Garry has been able to do, he frustrates people. His takedown defense has been excellent, and we’ll see if he can stay on his feet. Obviously, if he can stay off the ground, he poses a serious threat to Islam.”
Garry stopped 15 of 17 takedowns from Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad.
“Ian truly has a very good chance of beating Makhachev,” former UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, told MMA Fighting. “I’m not saying that because he’s my friend or because he’s part of our team, but because of what we’ve seen and how he’s been training. Ian has a great chance of winning, because he’s such a strategic fighter and never abandons the game plan.”
Oliveira was trounced by Makhachev at UFC 280.
“Whether you win or lose, once you’ve shared the cage with someone, you come away with certain insights,” Oliveira added. “And especially by watching fights. Ian is a very strategic guy, he studies a lot. Ian brings a lot to the table. We also contribute a lot, and the team is constantly talking, ‘What do you think about this, about that?’ Honestly, Ian is very well prepared.”
No. 3-ranked Michael Morales disagrees.
“Zero, zero, zero chance,” Morales told Hablemos MMA. “You might not believe it, but the card at the White House, I predicted every fight. I don’t see Ian with many chances. It would have to be a brutal shot that stops Makhachev. I’m 100 percent going with Makhachev. So no, no, no: Ian, definitely not. I think the fight spends the entire five rounds on the ground, or [Islam] is going to finish. We all know how they fight.”
Morales is expected to fight the winner in early 2027.
