“This is a mistake”: Islam Makhachev calls out Ian Machado Garry’s Georgia training plan ahead of UFC welterweight title push

Islam Makhachev has a clear message for Ian Machado Garry. The UFC lightweight champion believes the Irish fighter is making a serious mistake by flying to Georgia to improve his wrestling. Garry recently shared photos from his training trip and hinted that he wants to level up his ground game as he pushes for a UFC welterweight title shot. But Makhachev says short-term training camps will not fix deep gaps in skill.Speaking in an interview with Ushatayka, Islam Makhachev explained why he thinks Ian Machado Garry’s move will not change much inside the Octagon. At the same time, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told MMA Junkie that Garry is not the right name to challenge for the welterweight belt right now. Abdelaziz instead pointed toward former champion Kamaru Usman as a more serious and proven contender. Now, the debate around the next welterweight title challenger is heating up.Islam Makhachev did not hold back when asked about Ian Machado Garry’s decision to travel to Georgia for wrestling training. He repeated a point he has made before about fighters trying to quickly learn wrestling before big fights.“Well, I already said that. This is a mistake for fighters, to go to some training camp for two-three months before the fight in order to get ready for the fight. It’s in reverse, this plays into such a cruel mistake because a person who goes somewhere for two-three months to prepare and starts to believe in his skills and then it doesn’t work.”Makhachev also stressed that wrestling is not something you master in a short time. “In two-three months, it is impossible to learn how to wrestle. This is what you have to do since childhood, many, many years.”He was also asked to compare Ian Machado Garry with former champion Jack Della Maddalena. Islam Makhachev said both fighters are mainly strikers, but he ranked Jack Della Maddalena above Garry.While Makhachev shared his view, his manager Ali Abdelaziz spoke separately to MMA Junkie and made it clear he does not see Garry as the next welterweight challenger. Abdelaziz questioned Garry’s recent results and drawing power.“I have no problem with [Garry]. He just lost to Shavkat [Rakhmonov], and he was almost finished by Prates. It’s not like a guy who’s going to sell out an arena or something like that. If he’s going to sell out the arena, why don’t you make him and Belal the event in Qatar? You made Arman [Tsarukyan] and Dan Hooker? Neither of these guys are former champions. The math doesn’t add up for me.”He then strongly backed Kamaru Usman.“Kamaru is coming from a win, and he barely lost to Khamzat [Chimaev]. Has anybody beaten Kamaru Usman decisively in the octagon? Never. Kamaru Usman is Islam Makhachev’s toughest fight.”For now, Ian Machado Garry continues to prepare and build his case. But with Islam Makhachev and Ali Abdelaziz publicly questioning his readiness, the path to a title fight may not be as simple as a training trip abroad.