‘Tricky’ Ian Machado Garry could give Islam Makhachev a better fight than expected, says UFC Hall of Famer: “He’s got some sneaky power”

Could Ian Machado Garry present more problems to Islam Makhachev than most are anticipating?

Garry is set to compete for UFC gold for the first time in his pro MMA career. He’s scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15. That event will mark UFC’s return to Philadelphia, and the Xfinity Mobile Arena will play host.

“The Future” has expressed confidence in dethroning Makhachev, but the oddsmakers view him as the clear underdog. During a new edition of “Deep Waters” on Paramount+, UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans explained why Garry might surprise some people on fight night (via MMAJunkie).

“This is a lot better fight than I initially thought,” Evans said. “We know that Islam has morphed into so much more than being that dominant grappler, right? His striking and his kicks, all the aspects of his game is on another level, but there’s something about Ian Garry’s game that I feel is hard to get past.

“I feel like one thing that Ian does really well is that he makes adjustments really good on the fly. He’s a problem solver, and I feel like that gives a little issue. He’s got some sneaky power, he’s got some accuracy, he’s got some tricky things that he does.”

Garry has only suffered one loss in his pro MMA career up to this point. He dropped a unanimous decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov back in late 2024. Garry was able to rebound with victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad. Whether or not he has the answer for Makhachev’s supreme grappling remains to be seen.

Makhachev hasn’t been beaten since suffering a knockout loss to Adriano Martins all the way back in 2015. He has looked as close to flawless as one can get since that time, defeating the likes of Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier. He delivered a one-sided grappling clinic over Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight gold back in Nov. 2025.

What chance do you give Ian Machado Garry of pulling off the upset over Islam Makhachev at UFC 330? Share your opinion in the comments below.