Islam Makhachev found a ‘Garry clone’ for UFC 330 camp

Jul 23, 2026 - 05:05

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Islam Makhachev is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for his first welterweight title defense, roping in fighters with a similar build to Ian Garry.

Makhachev is scheduled to put his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title on the line against Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The Russian has reportedly brought in Alvarez from Spain to help him get familiar with his upcoming Irish foe’s frame.

Joel Alvarez helps Islam Makhachev prepare for Ian Garry’s height, range and distance game

While Makhachev is a heavy favorite going into UFC 330, a lot has been made of Garry’s defensive savviness and distance management. Alvarez stands at 6-foot-2 and is also adept at fighting at a distance and using his range as an advantage, which is likely why he’s been summoned to assist Makhachev. The Dagestani’s teammate, Professional Fighters League champion Usman Nurmagomedov, has also been mimicking Garry ahead of UFC 330.

The former lightweight champion and current No.1 pound-for-pound fighter previously praised Alvarez after his knockout win over Thiago Moises in 2021 and the Spaniard subsequently expressed gratitude while revealing that he and his training partner would role-play Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov during sparring.

Alvarez is 8-3 in the UFC with all of his losses coming against elite opponents. The 33-year-old is coming off a submission defeat to Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 this past May that snapped a four-fight winning streak.

Alvarez’s jiu jitsu coach, Tito Beltran, revealed the news on Instagram while announcing that "El Fenomeno" won’t be available for a camp in August in Valencia, Spain.