Garry's coach dismisses hugging backlash after UFC 330 loss and targets Makhachev rematch

Ian Machado Garry’s head coach Diego Lima has defended the Irishman against widespread criticism following his unanimous decision loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in Philadelphia in August, dismissing the controversy over Garry’s repeated hugging of the champion as overblown.

Makhachev retained his UFC welterweight title on the night and was openly puzzled by Garry’s behaviour in the cage, saying it was “not something we have to hug each other every round.” UFC CEO Dana White added to the pile-on, accusing Garry of lacking “killer instinct” in the final round by clinching rather than pushing for a finish.

Lima, who was in Garry’s corner throughout the fight, says the hugs barely registered with him at the time. “I swear I didn’t notice it,” he told MMA Fighting. “And I don’t think the hugs influenced anything at all. Charles [Oliveira] does that too — Charles hugs everyone when the round ends, when the round starts. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. That didn’t change the outcome of the fight.”

This was the second time Lima has coached against Makhachev, having previously worked with Charles Oliveira in a lightweight title fight against the Dagestani champion. Despite the rivalry, Lima spoke warmly of Makhachev as both a fighter and a person. “As much as he’s our opponent, he’s also an extremely respectful guy,” Lima said. “I like him as a human being. I also admire his work as a fighter.”

Lima does concede that a more aggressive approach could have changed the result. “I think if we had been just a little more aggressive, we could have knocked him out,” he said. “But at the same time, we knew we were facing the No. 1 guy. There’s nothing you can say about Makhachev — he’s an extremely tough guy.”

Despite the defeat, Lima is convinced Garry belongs at the very top of the welterweight division and is already looking ahead to a second meeting with the champion. “Ian Garry came very close to winning this fight,” he said. “That’s why I really believe that in a rematch, Ian Garry can win. I think everyone saw it, and Makhachev himself saw it, how tough Ian is. Ian, in my opinion, is one of the smartest fighters in the UFC — one of the highest fight IQs in the game. We’re going to have that belt next year.”