Ian Machado Garry Earns Respect for Philadelphia Showdown
UFC 330: Ian Machado Garry may have lost to Islam Makhachev, but he earned the respect of the Philadelphia crowd with his performance.
The Irishman showed up to the event as a sizable underdog, and the city's fans didn't exactly welcome him with open arms. In fact, a chant broke out during the main event, with thousands of fans joining in to chant "F*** Ian Garry!" Despite the hostile atmosphere, Garry gave it his all, even if it didn't look good for him in the early going.
Garry had trained for the inevitability of being taken down by Makhachev, but he couldn't shake free of the UFC's welterweight champion. Makhachev's 25-minute manhandling of then-champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 was still fresh in people's minds, and it felt somewhat predictable when Islam took Garry down in the first round.
In the second round, Makhachev caught Garry on a break with a solid right hand followed by a perfectly timed head kick that dropped Garry on his retreat. Garry survived the round but was down two rounds on the scorecards.
However, something happened in the third round that changed the momentum of the fight. Garry thwarted a takedown attempt and began to land some shots, including body kicks and high kicks. This turn got the attention of both Michael Morales and Carlos Prates, who were cageside to get a closer look at their obstacles.
In the fourth round, Garry began landing shots in close, and by the end of the round, there was a very real possibility that the fight was tied 2-2 heading into the final round. The UFC had to wonder if Garry would finish the job by killing off the last of the invincibles.
But it wasn't meant to be. In the fifth round, Makhachev landed a checkmate-style takedown on Garry, securing the round and the fight. The Philadelphia crowd came to life, cheering Makhachev's physically imposed brand of keepaway.
Dana White said after the fight that he didn't love Makhachev's performance, but he especially didn't like Garry's. He said that if Garry had an ounce of killer instinct, he could've won the fight. But as it was, Garry was respectful in his defeat.
"I believed in my heart and in my soul I was better than him tonight," Garry told Joe Rogan in the post-fight.
Garry's performance may not have been enough to win him the fight, but it's earned him respect from the UFC and the fans. It remains to be seen if he'll get another chance at the title, but for now, he's got a lot to think about.
Source: Yahoo Sports