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

Islam Makhachev brought in training partners built like Ian Garry to prepare for his first welterweight title defense, underscoring targeted camp planning for August. The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion faces Ian Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Islam Makhachev enlisted Spain's Joel Alvarez and teammate Usman Nurmagomedov to replicate Garry's frame and distance management.Makhachev previously praised Alvarez after his 2021 knockout of Thiago Moises, and Alvarez has said he once role-played Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov in sparring. Alvarez is 8-3 in the UFC; his submission loss to Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 in May ended a four-fight win streak. Jiu jitsu coach Tito Beltran noted on Instagram that Alvarez will not be available for an August camp in Valencia, Spain.