Islam Makhachev retained his UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 with a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry. The scorecard didn’t tell the whole story for UFC CEO Dana White, who felt Garry let a golden opportunity slip in the final round.
Garry appeared to be the fresher fighter heading into the fifth, having landed heavy body work that left Makhachev visibly marked up. But rather than push for a finish, Garry opted to engage respectfully with his opponent late in the fight — a decision that left White frustrated.
This is my honest opinion on it,” White said during his post-fight press conference.
I felt like tonight was set up for the upset, with so much on the line,” White said at his post-fight press conference.
In White’s view, Garry had the tools to pull off the win but came up short on aggression when it mattered most, pointing to the visible damage Garry had inflicted on Makhachev’s body and face by the final round.
White didn’t hold back, describing his frustration with Garry’s sportsmanship in the closing moments, saying it “drives me f—ing crazy” when a fighter shakes hands and shows respect instead of continuing to attack with the fight still very much in the balance
I think that Ian is a talented guy. If he had even an ounce of killer instinct in that round [he could’ve won]. He had been beating him to the body. Islam’s whole right side was beat up, his face was beat up. You don’t come out and hug and shake hands. That s— drives me f—ing crazy!
He suggested Garry should have thrown something dramatic — a flying knee or similar — to try to close the show, and predicted Garry will look back on the round with regret.
When there is so much at stake, and there is also a lot of mental gamesmanship. You come out in that fifth round with a flying knee, or something crazy, and try to finish the fight.
“I think this is one of those fights that Ian will go back and watch and say, ‘F—! I wish I could do that over again.’
White also aimed Garry’s overall demeanor throughout fight week, noting that the Irishman had made a point of shaking hands with corners before the bout.
White said that kind of class is admirable, but argued it has no place once the fight starts — especially in a final round against a fighter many consider a pound-for-pound great.
You don’t go and shake the f—ing GOAT’s hand in the fifth round. You go out to annihilate him,” White said, summing up his view that Garry needed a killer instinct he simply didn’t show when it counted.
