@islammakhachev on Instagram

UFC commentator Daniel Cormier believes Islam Makhachev could be in for a hard fight at UFC 330 later this month.

In the main event of UFC 330, Islam Makhachev will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Ian Machado Garry. While many consider him to be the favorite, Machado Garry has been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this.

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The Irishman wants to prove that he is capable of beating the very best, and at this point in his career, they don’t come much tougher than Makhachev.

In a recent clip, Daniel Cormier weighed in on the challenge that lies ahead not for Ian, but for Makhachev.

Cormier on Makhachev vs Machado Garry

“It’s a hard fight for Ian Garry. It’s a hard fight for Islam Makhachev,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I believe that this fight will be determined by what happens in the beginning of the fight. If Garry is able to stay upright for the first round, it could be a long night for Islam. But if Islam is able to secure takedowns early, or get close to Ian Garry, I believe that then the fight will start to sway in his side.”

“When you look within Garry the fighter, he is elite,” Cormier said. “Islam is almost trying to challenge his ego to try and make him fight the fight that would suit him. It’s obviously smart on Islam’s behalf because at the end of the day, I believe, and I think that Islam’s team would be smart enough to understand that this is going to be a very difficult fight or has the potential to be a very difficult fight.

“Because through it all, Garry is a very big guy for the weight class, very tall, and very agile, and can move around for 25 minutes if need be – which could cause issues for Islam. He’ll be a shorter fighter in the octagon this time, and Garry won’t be stationary standing in front of him. It is a very hard fight.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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