Carlos Prates expects Islam Makhachev to be pushed, but backs Ian Garry for the upset at UFC 330

Islam Makhachev’s move to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title for the first time brings a fresh matchup against Ian Garry, and one fighter who has a personal connection to the challenger is already making his case. Carlos Prates, who spoke ahead of the UFC 330 main event set for Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, said he expects the fight to go the distance and believes Garry can pull off an upset against Makhachev.

The title stakes are high from the opening bell. Makhachev will be defending his welterweight belt for the first time, and Garry enters as the opponent tasked with breaking through a champion who, according to the same report, carries a 28-1 professional record. Garry’s own resume is presented as 17-1, setting up a clash between a champion who is used to controlling fights at the top level and a contender who has built his case as an elite, technical threat.

Prates’ confidence is not presented as generic. The report ties his perspective to his experience in the division and his history with the matchup. It states that Prates’ only UFC loss came against the Irish challenger, placing him in a position to comment on what Garry tends to do to opponents and why Garry’s style could translate against a champion in a high-leverage environment.

Still, Prates’ prediction is framed around fight dynamics more than a single tactical bet. He said he expects Makhachev vs. Garry to go into a deeper contest, with the report emphasizing his belief that the bout will not be decided early. That matters because long fights tend to reward champions who can absorb openings and recalibrate, but they also create room for challengers who can keep pressure, change rhythms, and sustain a game plan when opponents begin to tire or anticipate.

The matchup also carries a question of stylistic pressure. Makhachev’s profile as a champion is built around controlling where the fight happens, while Garry’s path is often about forcing his own pace and exploiting moments as they arrive. Prates’ belief that the fight lasts longer than many expect implicitly suggests the challenger can survive the early testing phase and remain dangerous as the rounds accumulate.

UFC 330 now becomes a key inflection point for the welterweight landscape. If Garry’s upset argument holds, it would shift the balance of power and report that the division’s next wave of contenders can challenge a champion even when the champion is making a milestone defense. If Makhachev instead answers the question posed by Prates and wins in the manner of a typical title defense, the bout still functions as a stress test for the champion against a widely viewed threat level at the top of the division.

What to watch next is whether the early exchanges match Prates’ expectation of a marathon. Pay attention to whether Garry can repeatedly create problem sequences for Makhachev and whether Makhachev can neutralize those sequences without conceding enough momentum for Garry to build control late. Either way, the main event is positioned as a centerpiece fight that could redefine how quickly the welterweight division turns over its elite order.