Russian mixed martial arts fighter Islam Makhachev shared his thoughts on his bout against Ireland's Ian Machado Garry, which headlined UFC 330. Makhachev won by unanimous decision and defended his welterweight title (up to 77.1 kg), as reported by infohub.kz.
One of Makhachev's cornermen was Khabib Nurmagomedov, former UFC lightweight champion. After the fight, Makhachev praised his team: "We have the best team in the world. There are many killers in our gym who watch over our careers and train every day. Abdulmanap's [Nurmagomedov's] legacy continues and grows. There will be many more fighters from our gym."
After the victory, the arena showed Ecuadorian Michael Morales and Brazilian Carlos Prates, who rank third and second in the welterweight division, respectively. Makhachev also mentioned Kazakhstan's Shavkat Rakhmonov, saying: "I don't know, I don't want to choose. I don't care who it is. Maybe they should fight each other. Why didn't they fight on this card to determine the top contender? But it's fine. I'm glad we have real contenders in the division. These guys - Morales, Prates, Shavkat - make me train harder every day. I see they are serious fighters who can give me tough fights. Huge respect to these guys, they are all tough. Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Garry, Carlos Prates, Marlon Morales, Shavkat Rakhmonov. Right now, this is the toughest division in the UFC."
The Russian added that he plans to have his next fight before Ramadan, meaning late this year or in January. He also agreed with UFC president Dana White, who criticized Machado Garry for being overly respectful to Makhachev: "Honestly, I don't understand that either. This is a fight, we don't need to hug before every round. It's war, we want to smash each other's faces, eye for an eye. I respect all opponents, but Ian overdoes the respect."
With this latest win, Makhachev set a UFC record for the longest winning streak - 17 fights. He tops the men's pound-for-pound rankings.