Cain Velasquez is backing Islam Makhachev to deliver another dominant performance when he defends his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event.
Makhachev is set for his first welterweight title defense on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, headlining against Garry after previously dominating Jack Della Maddalena to claim the belt at UFC 322. The bout also gives Makhachev a chance to break the UFC record for most consecutive victories.
Velasquez, a longtime training partner of Makhachev at American Kickboxing Academy, praised the champion’s level. "He's a special type of athlete, as we all know," Velasquez said, later adding, "He's one of those guys at the pinnacle of this sport. I talk with Javier (Mendez) all the time, and Islam and those guys are always doing great. They're in great hands. Javier is the one who builds champions."
"He's a master at what he does, so he's always with those guys. He's always with Islam. They're in great hands. They're getting exactly what they need as far as the fighting and training goes. I see Islam just continuously doing what he's doing, and that's winning impressively. He's somebody who's mastered all aspects of MMA," Velasquez said.
Makhachev enters UFC 330 with a 28-1 MMA record and a 17-1 UFC mark, while Garry brings a 17-1 MMA record and 10-1 UFC record into the Philadelphia headliner.
