UFC president Dana White shared his thoughts on the fight between Russian Islam Makhachev and Irishman Ian Machado Garry at a press conference, reports infohub.kz.
The bout headlined UFC 330. Makhachev won by unanimous decision and defended his welterweight title (up to 77.1 kg). In White's view, Machado Garry spent too much time showing respect during the fight.
"I had a feeling we were going to see an upset tonight. There was so much at stake. There's a reason weight classes exist in this sport. Ian Garry is a big, long, strong guy. His takedown defense was impressive tonight. I think Ian is a talented kid. But if he had just a drop of killer instinct... In the fifth round, he started breaking Islam's body. You don't go out there to shake hands and hug. That shit drives me crazy. There's a huge mental aspect to this game. You need to start the fifth round with a flying knee or something, try to finish the guy. I think when he watches this fight, Ian will say, 'Damn, I wish I could do that over,'" White said.
The UFC chief agreed that Machado Garry looked fresher than Makhachev in the fifth round, but the Russian still took that round on all three judges' scorecards.
"If Ian had tried to destroy him, to win that round by giving everything he had, it would have been a completely different fight. But he gave Islam the opportunity. He exploded, took his back. And once Islam got his hooks in, it was over. It was clear he would hold him there until the end of the round," White said.
Makhachev, in White's opinion, did everything necessary to win. White also noted how impressive Makhachev's achievements in the welterweight division are, especially after moving up from lightweight, where he was also champion.
With this latest victory, Makhachev set a UFC record for the longest winning streak at 17 fights.