Belal Muhammad has offered a detailed breakdown of Ian Machado Garry’s style and title hopes ahead of a planned UFC welterweight title defense by Islam Makhachev in August.
Muhammad, whose most recent loss came to Garry by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 265 in November, praised the Irish contender’s fight IQ and movement while pointing to what he sees as a key vulnerability over championship rounds.
"Ian is very smart. He understands strategy. He understands how to move and distance," Muhammad said, adding that he expects "a lot of running" as Makhachev looks to track Garry down: "I think it'll be a lot of running, but it's just for Islam to catch him and try to grab hold of him."
Muhammad also highlighted conditioning as a potential factor in a five-round title fight. "I think, obviously, his biggest weakness is his cardio, so for himself is try to fix that, and you've got to go five rounds," he said. "You've got to figure out a way to go five rounds, especially with your style, where you're not a finisher like that. You have to be able to push that same pace, push that same running for five rounds. I think fighters are starting to see his weaknesses. But he makes adjustments. He's always trying to get better, too, so let's see what he does."
While Makhachev, Garry, and Muhammad all enter their next bouts with just one professional loss each, Muhammad’s immediate focus is Gabriel Bonfim, whom he meets in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 278 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
