Former UFC champion Belal Muhammad has given his thoughts on Islam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330.

In the main event of UFC 330, Islam Makhachev will defend his UFC welterweight championship against top contender Ian Machado Garry. While Islam is considered to be the big favorite, Machado Garry is certainly good enough to cause him some real problems.

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For years now, Makhachev has been on an amazing run of form in the UFC, to the point where some are starting to feature him in the greatest of all time conversation. There’s a lot of debate to be had about that, but when you look at his body of work, it’s hard to argue against it.

In a recent interview, Belal Muhammad weighed in on how he thinks Makhachev vs Machado Garry could play out.

Muhammad on Makhachev vs Machado Garry

“I just think a lot of people are underestimating Ian,” Muhammad said. “He’s very smart with the way he fights and strategizes and game plans. But obviously Islam is pound-for-pound, but I definitely think Ian is a live dog.

“If he gets taken down, it’s not going to be the same situation as when Shavkat (Rakhmonov) took him down and did a good job holding him. He’s not going to be able to hold a guy like Islam in his guard. Islam is more of a threat on the ground than Shavkat was. If he thinks, ‘Oh, if he takes me down I’m just going to hold my guard and body triangle him and wait for the ref to stand us up,’ that’s not going to be the case.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Who are you backing to pick up the win in the main event of UFC 330? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!