Islam Makhachev promises to teach a lesson in humility at UFC 330: He’s acting like…

Islam Makhachev has no doubt that Ian Machado Garry will come back down to earth after their head-to-head matchup. The Dagestani fighter has announced that he intends to teach the confident Irishman a lesson in humility at UFC 330.

This Saturday, Makhachev will defend his welterweight championship belt for the first time. His opponent will be Garry, and as the event approaches, the fighters are fulfilling their media obligations in Philadelphia.

During a meeting with reporters, the champion was asked how he viewed “The Future”—not as a fighter, but as a person. Makhachev had nothing negative to say about the challenger. However, he did comment on his behavior and the image he projects on camera.

Makhachev promises to teach Garry a lesson in humility

According to the current champion, Garry is actually a nice guy, but before fights he tries to come across as someone much more defiant. The Dagestani intends to make the Irishman change his attitude a bit after UFC 330.

“ I think he’s a good person, a good guy, but he acts like he’s some kind of ‘bad boy’ or something like that,” Makhachev said. “I’ve already talked about this in an interview. We’ll teach him a lesson in humility.”

The challenger certainly isn’t lacking in confidence. Garry openly declares that he will knock out Makhachev. What’s more, “The Future” doesn’t want any potential finish to be dismissed as a fluke or a lucky punch. The Irishman intends to win in a way that leaves no room for doubt.

Not everyone was pleased with this attitude. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes Garry is making a mistake by approaching his fight with the Dagestani fighter this way. Others, however, see the Irishman’s strong statements primarily as an attempt to generate additional buzz for the fight.

Ahead of UFC 330, there’s also been a lot of talk about Makhachev’s future. Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently admitted that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Dagestani fighter decided to retire after a potential victory over Garry.

“The Future,” however, has completely different plans. The Irishman wants to prove that the time has come for a new generation in the welterweight division—one he intends to lead himself. Garry has even named a potential first challenger. In his opinion, after UFC 330, Carlos “The Nightmare” Prates would be the most deserving candidate for a title shot. So if he defeats Makhachev, he declares his readiness to defend his belt against the Brazilian.