Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry has fight fans split—and even Georges St-Pierre isn’t ruling out a massive upset. The UFC legend believes ‘The Future’ has what it takes to stun the world at UFC 330, but there’s a big catch. If Makhachev takes the bout to the mat, GSP believes the Irish contender could be in for a long night.

Speaking on Tim Welch’s podcast, the UFC Hall of Famer broke down the contest and highlighted why the style clash favours the Dagestani, even though Ian ‘Machado’ Garry has the kind of striking and movement that can cause serious problems on the feet.

“I think the odds, because of the style, it favours Makhachev, probably,” GSP said. “Because of the styles. I think Islam Makhachev have maybe more ways to win the fight. So if I’m just thinking rational, according to the odds, I think it favours Makhachev.

“But Ian Garry definitely has all the chance also on his side to do it. He’s a very good striker; he’s very long, he’s a great grappler as well. But he needs, I think, to find a way to keep the fight standing, you know, like, and to use his style to his own advantage.”

However, the former two-division UFC champion acknowledged that it’s easier said than done, as GSP has already seen how good the welterweight champion really is, and the legend has never shied away from showering Makhachev with some praise every now and then.

“But Islam Makhachev is, you know, stylistically, he’s a freaking nightmare to fight for anyone,” he added. “He’s, I think, right now the best pound for pound on the planet.”

Islam Makhachev enters UFC 330 looking to make the first defence of the welterweight title he captured at UFC 322 with a unanimous decision victory over Jack Della Maddalena.

After vacating the lightweight throne to go up to 170 pounds, the Dagestani phenom has now won 16 straight fights dating back to 2015, when he suffered his only professional defeat against Adriano Martins.

Ian Garry, too, has lost only once. After losing to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in 2024, the Irishman rebounded in style with convincing decision wins over Carlos Prates and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad to earn his first UFC title shot.

So, no doubt the fans are hyped up for it. After all, the physical matchup also presents an intriguing contrast. ‘The Future’ is 6-foot-3 with a 74.5-inch reach, giving him a size and reach edge over 5-foot-10 Islam Makhachev, who has a 70.5-inch reach.

While the Dagestani fighter has defeated fighters taller than him, such as former champion Jack Della Maddalena, who was 5’11”, and Dan Hooker, who stands tall at 6’0″, Ian Garry would be by far the tallest opponent of Islam Makhachev’s UFC career.

Whether ‘The Future’ can exploit these attributes to keep the champion within striking distance could ultimately decide how competitive the title fight becomes, especially since this is also the fight that can dictate whether Islam Makhachev can achieve the undisputed GOAT status anytime soon.

Georges St-Pierre reveals how Islam Makhachev can become the UFC GOAT

Georges St-Pierre also spoke on where Islam Makhachev stands in the all-time great debate—and what he believes the champion still needs to do before separating himself from every legend in UFC history.

The Dagestani phenom enters UFC 330 with a 28-1 professional record and the opportunity to set the UFC record for most consecutive victories if he defeats Ian Garry for a 17th straight win.

Already regarded by many as the greatest welterweight in UFC history and one of the sport’s all-time best fighters, GSP believes Islam Makhachev’s resume could become unmatched if he eventually goes for a third UFC title after retaining the belt against Ian Garry.

“Maybe he will eventually go up to middleweight, try to do the three-weight-class club,” Georges St-Pierre said.

No fighter has ever won a UFC title in three separate weight classes. After Alex Pereira failed in his own attempt to become a three-division champion at UFC Freedom 250, Islam Makhachev could be the next superstar with a chance to make history.

But before any discussions about a move to middleweight can begin, the Dagestani must first overcome one of the toughest tests of his welterweight career.

A victory over Ian Garry would not only mark a successful first title defense at 170 pounds, but it would also give him the UFC’s longest winning streak, adding another milestone to his already remarkable career and a stat to boast for fans who already believe Islam Makhachev is the UFC GOAT.