UFC 330 saw Islam Makhachev make the first defense of his welterweight title, but it was anything but an easy night for the Dagestani. Ian Machado Garry pushed the champion to the limit over five rounds, busted up his face and nose, and gave Makhachev arguably his toughest fight since Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.
In the end, though, Makhachev found a way to get his hand raised and extend his UFC winning streak to 17 fights. While fans praised Garry for giving Makhachev such a competitive fight, UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t quite as impressed with the Irishman’s approach.
In fact, White believes Garry’s overly friendly nature may have cost him his shot at UFC gold. It was no secret that Garry had plenty of respect for Makhachev throughout fight week. The Irishman repeatedly spoke highly of the champion during the buildup and carried that same attitude into the fight itself.
View this post on Instagram
ALSO READ: Islam Makhachev Names Top 155-Pounders for Usman Nurmagomedov’s Potential UFC Debut
Garry remained cordial with Makhachev between rounds, exchanging high fives, fist bumps and friendly pats whenever they separated. Things went even further at the start of the fifth round, when Garry moved in for a hug with the Dagestani.
That didn’t sit well with White, who has never exactly been a fan of in-fight camaraderie. Speaking at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference, the UFC boss suggested that Garry needed to turn off the friendly side and fully embrace the killer instinct required to beat someone like Makhachev.
He said, “This is my honest opinion. I felt like tonight was set up for the upset. Ian is a talented guy, if he had even an ounce of killer instinct — in that fifth round he was beating him to the body.”
White pointed out just how much damage Makhachev had absorbed and argued that Garry needed to capitalize on it instead of showing respect.
White explained, “Islam’s whole right side was beat up. His face was beat up. You don’t come out and hug and shake hands. Fuck that shit drives me crazy! This is one of those fights that Ian will go back and say ‘fuck, I wish I could do that over again.’ If he came out and tried to destroy and win that last round with everything he had, it’s a totally different fight.”
Dana White just said Ian Garry doesn’t have an ounce of killer instinct 😬
“In that 5th round, you don’t come out, hug, and shake hands. That sh*t drives me f*cking crazy. There’s so much at stake. This is one of those fights Ian will say, ‘F*ck… Wish I could do that over… pic.twitter.com/0Xd4Hsgad1
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 16, 2026
White admitted that Garry’s respectful personality is admirable, but believes that mindset has to disappear once the cage door closes, especially when fighting one of the best fighters in the sport.
He added, “I think Ian is a classy guy, is what I think. He always shows class, before the fight, he goes over and shakes all their corners’ hands. It’s great, but when that bell rings, you’ve got to switch all that off and go.”
And White wasn’t finished there. He concluded with, “You don’t shake the GOAT’s hand in the fifth round. You go out to fucking annihilate him. That just has to be your mindset… in my humble opinion.”
Interestingly, Makhachev himself seemed to agree with White’s assessment. During his own post-fight press conference, the welterweight champion admitted that he was confused by Garry’s constant displays of respect throughout the fight.
The 170lbs kingpin opined, “Bro, I honestly don’t understand, man, this is a fight, this is not something where we have to hug each other every round.”
Makhachev made it clear that, while he respects all of his opponents, he doesn’t view a UFC title fight as the place for friendly exchanges.
He added, “We’re going to war to break each other’s face, that’s why I respect all my opponents, but Ian, I don’t know, he respects too much. He just said, ‘I fought today with the greatest fighter’, I respect him, he’s a good guy, very kind. But this is all I know with my face, I just come to beat everybody, it’s not something you play, this is a fight, not a game.”
View this post on Instagram
It’s certainly a fair criticism. When you’re fighting for UFC gold against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, there isn’t much room for being overly friendly once the bell rings. That said, there is one important caveat to White’s argument: winning the fifth round wouldn’t actually have changed the result.
Makhachev won the fight by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. So even if Garry had taken the fifth round 10-9, he still would not have done enough to win the title. Even a rare 10-8 round in his favor would not have changed the overall result on the two 49-46 scorecards.
In other words, Garry may have left some opportunities on the table, but his friendly approach in the fifth round wasn’t ultimately what cost him the belt. Makhachev simply did enough across the other four rounds to retain his title and make it 17 straight wins inside the Octagon.
MORE MMA NEWS:
1- Islam Makhachev Drops Major Update on Potential Boxing Bout With Conor McGregor
2- 7 UFC Fighters Who Had the Most Chaotic Debut Year in Company History
3- UFC Fighters With the Most Dominant 365-Day Runs in Company History
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
