Discipline is the number one things. If you're not sleeping well last night, you're not going to be 100% in the training in the morning. You know, that's why discipline is the most important things.
Everybody have same things. James gyms, coach, aspiring partners. But who is a discipline more?
That guy have more success. You know, it's discipline. It's not about me.
It's about all our it's all about my my team. You know what what the our coach Abdul Manab give us all his life when he was with us just discipline you know [music] come on time like focusing always training you know because uh one of the things you can come to the training sleep well in the morning you can come and training is beginning and [music] you still thinking about some business some other stuffs you not 100% % in the gym you know [music] that's why even myself right now like all like small businesses what I have I have people who take care like my older brother some of the guy but I don't think about this business I don't like check how it's working how it's going because I have to focusing in training There will be nothing left untouched by Islam Makachev as he readies himself for what can only be described as one of the biggest defenses of his career at UFC 330. You know, Islam is ready.
He's ready to perform. I've never actually seen him this this good. You know, all the coaches had a important role in in preparation for this camp.
And uh you know, he's ready to go. I I love the way he is right now. Uh you know, body, mental, physical, everything, game plan, everything.
Everything is intact. Uh we have Habib back cornering him. So, I'm very very happy about that cuz that that just means we're going to have the best corner.
We have the best fighter. We're going to have the best win. [music] [music] [music] [music] for [music] [music] [music] [music] planet.
All week I was pushing them. I leave weekend. I just come back for next 5 days.
Uh for me it's going to be fun day. For them it's going to be very hard days. [music] [music] [music] for [music] [music] [music] [music] Foreign [music] speech.
Foreign speech. Foreign speech. [music] progressing.
With Kabib Nurmagamedov at the helm of his training camp, the undefeated welterweight champion has been pushing through intense training sessions, catching the attention of many. But there's more to the story. As trainer Javier Menddees is now offering a glimpse into Islam Makachev's strategy for taking on the formidable Ian Machado Garry, the sentiment within Makachev's camp is one of unmistakable confidence with the team exuding a strong sense of self asssurance.
And I don't know what the most thoughtful question is. I'm curious if you were training Ian Mashado Gary for this exercise. What are you focused on in training camp knowing you're fighting a guy that is just so wellversed at everything?
And uh and what are your thoughts about Ian's chances? Uh look, I just Well, first off, I mean, obviously you got to get the wrestling squared away, which isn't easy to do cuz the guy's at a super high level, but there is a big size discrepancy, Ken. You know what I mean?
Like there is he is long and lanky. I think he's awkward, you know? He's not like uh like the most technically sound.
And I think that actually is going to give Islam trouble, you know, because I think he's just a little quirky with with everything. And he's got the size, I think, to to give this guy trouble. He's big.
Ian Gary's a big [music] kid. This is a big 170 pounder. So, I'm I'm really curious to see how it plays out.
But Islam is so squared away everywhere and he's dedicated, you know, he's puts the time in with training and all that stuff. So, I think it's a great matchup. I think it's a really really good matchup.
I've seen some Ian's not the heaviest 170 pounder either. Like I think he fought in California where they release your your weights for the fight night. [music] I've seen one where I think he only gained like 11 lbs.
Like he was like 181 in the back. Like [music] I was like 198 like my last fight in the back, you know, like some of us 70 like we get big and he's just not. And I'm not saying that means a whole lot, but it definitely means something, you know.
So yeah, he is tall. He is quote unquote long, but [music] yeah, I don't think Islam's going to have too hard of a time. Yeah, should be interesting.
I got to ask you about this, and I do realize you guys have the same manager, but uh what did you make of Gary's comments? He's getting a lot of backlash for some of the stuff he said. The women are going to I think women should rule the world.
like cry during Disney movies. I didn't like the stuff about Neil Magny. I know you trained with Neil before, but I think that whole thing of, you know, Magny made a bad analogy.
Neil Magnney is not a bad guy. He's not a bad father. I don't like that stuff as a fellow father myself when I heard him kind of re, you know, bring that up again.
But just your overall thoughts on Gary's, you know, interview which didn't really talk much about the fight and more about other stuff. Well, he put I remember when that happened, he put [music] Neil like I know Neil I've trained with Neil multiple times. Neil's a great guy and he put Neil in a bad spot saying like and that's not what Neil meant and [music] for him to do that and I know Neil went on to have a divorce and I'm pretty sure that came up in it did it did come up in the Yeah.
And then he like he was trying to get custody of his kids. He told me about it and Neil's a much nicer guy than I would be about how he responded to that whole thing, but I would have been furious if that happened. Yeah.
And that's kind of I' I've wanted to fight Ian ever since that happened. I'm just not the biggest fan of him. Speaking of maybe he might get if he loses super quick in a couple weeks, maybe he'll want to turn around quick and maybe that'll be a fight I can get.
But [music] um yeah, I just the whole interview was him talking about the women like he just I don't know I don't know if his wife is Javier Menddees began by explaining how the training camp unfolded setting the stage to detail the approach taken for Gary. According to Islam Makachev's long-term trainer, Menddees, a shift to the welterweight division had been anticipated for Islam for quite some time, even before his last lightweight title defense. Islam Makachev had already informed his camp that his intention was to acquire another championship belt in the near future.
With that goal established, the focus then shifted to preparing him to compete at 170 lb. Islam Makachev subsequently gained the necessary weight and strength with the assistance of his Russian coach Sifula Magomed. UFC 330 Islam Makachev returning to the cage there.
Uh I just want you to take us back to when he decided to commit to 170 and make that move to welterweight. Uh as a coach, how do you structure his training camp differently to ensure that he's ready to perform and perform well at that weight? uh when Islam was defending his title for the last time as a lightweight.
He told me, "Coach, my my goal is to once I become successful with this last [music] title because I would have broken the title defenses for for lightweight. I want to go up to welterweight. What do you think?
I want to do a you know double champ like everybody else. I want to go for legacy fights. " I said, "That's fantastic.
" So what he did from that point once he won his title, his mind was set on what he wanted to do. So he got with his coach up in Russia, Safe Safula who's a big big part of of helping him maintain his body, getting it bigger. So he went to work.
You know, Safe is a great coach. Mendes then followed with updates on how they are preparing Islam for Gary's unique fighting style. He said that at the moment they are training at Nick Katone MMA in New Jersey and not at AKA because they are getting themselves closer to the fight location.
They don't claim to have anyone who has the same style and movements as Gary. But Usman Nurmagadov is Islam main sparring partner at the moment. Though Usman might not have the exact size and reach as Gary, the speed and timing of Usman are second to none.
And timing is one of the biggest keys to prepare for Gary. uh where are some of the guys that you're putting him with just to get that feel for you know this opponent that he's going to be facing and you know Machado Gary like is there somebody in camp that you've identified that best uh suits that kind of style that he's going to be facing? Unfortunately you know we don't have anybody and we're we're at Nick Katones MMA in New Jersey in Brick New Jersey.
So this is where the training camp's taking place. Uh I'm I'm I travel wherever they they go I go. So it's not no longer AK.
If it is AK, if the fight's close to AK, we'll be at AK. But right now, the fights have been closer to over these areas. So, so having somebody like Ian Machado, to be honest with you, we don't have anybody at our disposal that's that good.
But we do have who I happen to believe is the number one lightweight in the world, which is Usman as a as a main sparring partner. So, that was fantastic. And it's not for the height difference because obviously, you know, they're different.
They're not the same, but the timing, the timing, that's very, very important. And the timing is crucial, you know, and that's what Usuzman brings to the table. You know, we can have a guy that sits.
He stressed that having somebody with Gary's height is not at all as important important as having the right kind of instincts and timing. Hence the reason why Usman has been an important part of camp as one of Islam primary sparring partners despite the fact that he is not even close to Gary in terms of build. Apart from discussing the upcoming bout against Gary, Mendes also talked about how another title defense could be important to cement his fighter's name in the Hall of Fame, he stressed that while he may be biased himself, yet he thinks a lopsided win will definitely make Islam a great of all time.
In support of his argument about why he considers that Islam has the capacity to achieve this feat, Mendes referred to several attributes which are not limited to his performance in the octagon. When paying tribute to the years of mentorship and coaching Islam has been enjoying from Abdulman Nurmagumado and his team including his brother Kabib Menddees argued that some attributes cannot be coached into a fighter. For Mendes, what makes Islam special is his instinctive abilities, poise and god-given talent.
It is this unique attribute that has remained untouched by even the best coaching in the world. Adding his own analysis of the fight, George SPierre feels that the style matchup favors Islam Makachev. While asked about his opinion on how much money to bet on either fighter in case of such a hypothetical situation, the MMA legend replied that the right choice will be Islam as he sees more chances for victory for the champion.
On the other hand, Sierre clearly doesn't rule out Ian Machado Gary from making an upset. Speaking highly of Gary's striking, length, and grappling skills, S Pierre emphasized that the best option for Gary is to keep the fight standing. Despite that, S Pierre sees Makachev coming out on top, describing him as a pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and also one whose fighting style would be extremely difficult for any adversary.
But according to Tim Welch, Gary has what it takes to keep it close. He cited Gary's height, agility, and his capability to engage opponents from afar as his strengths. and even Kabib admitting to being concerned with the Irish fighter before UFC 330.
Adding his own prediction, Shawn Brady believes Makachev will be too much for Gary despite the challenger's size. Brady acknowledged that Gary's height could create some interesting moments early, especially since he'll be one of the tallest opponents Islam has faced. However, he argued that Gary doesn't possess the same physical strength or one-punch power as bigger welterweights, making it difficult to keep the champion from closing the distance.
Brady also pointed out that Gary's reach isn't unusually long for someone his height, which he believes further benefits Islam. In the end, Brady expects Makachev to dominate the grappling exchanges and secure a submission victory. Offering a more tactical breakdown, Kenny Florian believes Gary's size could pose one of the biggest challenges Makachev has faced in recent years.
Florian noted that Gary doesn't just have height, he knows how to use it, relying on a sharp jab and a variety of kicks to keep opponents at range. Because of that, he expects Islam biggest priority will be closing the distance quickly by attacking the legs and body. At the same time, Florian pointed out that Gary's height can work against him as taller fighters often leave more opportunities for well-timed level changes and takedowns.
Florian also cautioned against expecting a quick finish. While he believes Makachev holds a clear advantage once the fight hits the mat, he expects the champion to wear Gary down over time rather than finish him immediately. According to Florian, patience and disciplined execution will be key as Gary's size and movement make him a dangerous opponent.
Ray Longo shared that view, saying, "Gary's best chance is to constantly work back to his feet and never stop moving. He believes relentless movement and making Islam repeatedly work for every takedown could be the challenger's most realistic path to pulling off the upset, rounding out the predictions. MMA journalist James Lynch is also backing Makachev, but expects a much more competitive fight than many are predicting.
Rather than a submission or knockout, Lynch believes the champion will earn a decision victory. He pointed to Gary's durability, noting that the Irishman has never been finished and should have the defensive grappling to survive Islam submission attacks. Lynch also expects Gary to maintain a solid pace throughout the fight, making a late finish less likely.
While acknowledging Makachev outstanding finishing record, he believes Gary is skilled enough to hear the final bell even if he falls short on the scorecards. So, what do you think? Has Islam Makachev done enough in training to overcome Ian Machado Garary and successfully defend his title at UFC 330?
Share your prediction in the comments below. And don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more MMA news and fight coverage.
