Former UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad shared his prediction for the UFC 330 main event between Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry.
Muhammad has fought Machado Garry before and was linked to a fight with Makhachev back when he was the welterweight champion, so he knows both men well.
Ahead of tonight’s UFC 330 headliner, Muhammad shared his main event prediction.
Belal Muhammad Predicts UFC 330 Headliner
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Muhammad shared his final prediction for the UFC 330 main event between Makhachev and Machado Garry.
“I’m going with Islam. I think it will be a longer fight. I don’t think it will be an early finish. I think it will probably go to the fourth and fifth round, and if Garry was getting away the first three rounds, I could see him getting finished in the fifth. I could see a sub coming from Islam. I don’t think it’s going to be on the feet for long, I do think Islam will get a couple of takedowns so, I’m going with Islam,” Muhammad said (via MMAjunkie.com).
With the fight just hours away now, Makhachev is a -350 betting favorite, with Machado Garry as a +280 betting underdog, indicating that this fight will be an uphill climb for the challenger.
Belal Muhammad Breaks Down UFC 330 Title Fight
In addition to sharing his final prediction for the bout, Muhammad broke down Makhachev vs. Machado Garry in great detail.
“Islam is very good. He’s very good everywhere. He’s smart, and they usually come in with a good game plan. So I think with Islam, it’s all about cutting the cage off – cutting the cage off, making Garry uncomfortable on his back foot, closer to the fence, and I think eventually, it will wear on Garry. Garry is very good at sticking and moving, running, keeping the fight at a very slow pace. I think he does that because he knows he gets tired. He knows he gets gassed. He doesn’t have one-punch knockout power, so he’ll stick and move, stick and move, make you frustrated, and he doesn’t care if it’s just a boring fight. He doesn’t care if it’s a slow fight. He doesn’t care if the crowd is booing,” Muhammad said.
“He knows if he’s hitting and not getting hit, he’s winning. So for Islam, you’ve got to cut the cage off. And when you enter, it has to be off of combos. Garry is very good at countering off of one punch. He’ll wait for that one punch, lean back, come with a 1-2 or come with a cross over the top. He’s taller, so he sees a lot. And when he kicks, he goes for that low kick, calf kick. I think he’s going to be attacking your lead leg since you’re southpaw-orthodox. He’s going to be doing that stomp kick on there, so just lifting that knee up, checking it, picking it up, and then closing the distance when he does that. If you stay out of kicking range with him, it frustrates him.”
Belal Muhammad Predicts UFC 330 Welterweight Title Fight