Dana White says Ian Garry lacks ‘even an ounce of killer instinct’ after loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330

Ian Machado Garry is tremendously talented. UFC CEO Dana White recognizes that after his competitive fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 330. However, White thinks Garry might have squandered his chance to become champion.

White historically dislikes fighters who show camaraderie mid-fight. He’s long believed that such pleasantries should be kept before and after the bell sounds. So it’s no surprise that he frowned upon Garry’s reverence for Makhachev. 

Saturday’s headliners embraced at the beginning of the final round. Most spectators, according to MMA Decisions, scored the bout dead even heading into Round 5. Makhachev finally wrangled Garry to the mat after largely failing to do so, and controlled his back long enough to secure the fight. White claims that Garry’s politeness, which reared its head earlier in the fight and throughout fight week, robbed him of crucial tenacity. 

“I think Ian is a talented guy. If he had even an ounce of killer instinct, in that fifth round, you don’t come out and hug and shake hands,” White told reporters at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference. “That shit drives me crazy.”

“You come out in that fifth round with a flying knee and try to finish the fight. I think this is one of those fights where Ian will go back and watch and say, ‘F—, I wish I could do that over again.”

White praised Garry as a “classy” guy, but said it did the title challenger no favors on Saturday.

A finish would’ve been the only thing that could’ve rescued the fight for Garry. Though many viewers had it tied going into the final frame, two judges had awarded Makhachev three rounds. In defeating Garry, Makhachev broke Anderson Silva’s record for the longest UFC undefeated streak.