UFC 330: Love or hate Ian Machado Garry, he deserves respect after battling Islam Makhachev in Philadelphia
Makhachev has his title and his record, but Garry showed he was a worthy opponent.
Philadelphia embraced Islam Makhachev, the UFC welterweight champion, for his first title defense against Ian Machado Garry on Saturday night. However, the fans did not show the same enthusiasm for Garry, with chants of "F*** Ian Garry!" breaking out during the main event. Despite this, Garry showed respect to Makhachev in the early rounds, even as the champion dominated him with a 25-minute manhandling of then-welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
Although Garry couldn't escape Makhachev's hold, he began landing shots and knocking Makhachev off-balance in the third and fourth rounds. While Makhachev controlled the fight, the scoring criteria favored Garry's damage. By the end of the fight, the score was tied, leaving Garry with a hard-fought loss, but also displaying the respect and determination that earned him Philadelphia's support.
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