Arman Tsarukyan: ''Ian Garry Did NOT Believe Enough in Himself!''

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show to break down the welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry. Tsarukyan expressed strong criticism of Garry’s performance, stating the Irish challenger lacked self-belief. According to Tsarukyan, Garry focused too heavily on avoiding takedowns, resulting in a passive approach that made victory impossible.

In his official scoring, Tsarukyan awarded the fight four rounds to one in favor of Makhachev. However, he noted that the dominant champion did not look like his usual self. Tsarukyan speculated that an early injury might have impacted the champion, pointing out that Makhachev accidentally hurt his nose during a headbutt in a wrestling exchange.

Tsarukyan argued that Garry should have abandoned his cautious hugging tactics in favor of a wild, aggressive style. He emphasized that fighters must show aggression before and during a bout, saving respect for after the final bell.

Looking at the broader division, Tsarukyan admitted that rising contender Michael Morales could pose problems in the future. He concluded, however, that nobody in the current welterweight landscape can defeat Makhachev. He noted that only a prime Kamaru Usman could have challenged this version of Makhachev, but Usman has now transitioned to the middleweight division.