Islam’s Coach Exposes Garry’s Fatal Flaw
Islam Makhachev’s Blueprint for Beating Tall Fighters: A Simple Breakdown
The Big Picture: What’s the Game Plan?
When two UFC experts (Kyte and Madden) sat down to talk about Islam Makhachev’s upcoming fight against the very tall Ian Machado Garry, the answer was surprisingly simple: wrestle, control, repeat.
IMPORTANT POINT: Islam’s strategy hasn’t changed in years. His coaches call it "Father’s Plan" — and it works against everyone: lefties, righties, wrestlers, strikers, grapplers. Why fix what isn’t broken?
The Proof Is in the Numbers: The JDM Fight
Let’s look at Islam’s last fight against Jack Della Maddalena (JDM) — a world-class, well-rounded fighter who can fight from both stances and throws weird, unorthodox attacks.
| Stat | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Takedowns | 4 attempts, 4 successful (100%!) |
| Timing | Every takedown came in the first 2 minutes of each round |
| Control Time | 19 minutes out of a 25-minute fight |
| Round 2 | Didn’t even try a takedown — still won the round |
KEY TAKEAWAY: Against a champion-level scrambler who’s great at getting up, Islam held him down for nearly the entire fight. That’s not luck — that’s a system.
The New Puzzle: Fighting Someone This Tall
Ian Machado Garry is 6’3" or 6’4" — the tallest opponent Islam has ever faced.
Previous Tall Opponents (for comparison):
- Charles Oliveira — 6’0", likes to come forward and engage
- Dan Hooker — 6’0", also happy to trade punches up close
Why Ian Is Different:
- Uses his long reach like a jab — keeps people at the end of his fist
- Great footwork — moves away before you can grab him
- Smart lead hand — measures distance and blocks entries
- Dangerous kicks — especially question-mark kicks that loop over defenses
How Islam Solves the "Tall Problem": Step by Step
1. Follow the Kicks In (Don’t Back Away!)
When a kicker throws a kick, their leg must come back to their stance. That split second? That’s your window.
Think of it like this: Imagine someone kicking a door open. While their leg is extended, they’re off-balance. If you step into that space right as they pull back, they have nowhere to go.
What Archie Colgan did wrong vs. Usman Nurmagomedov:
- Swatted at kicks
- Stepped backward
- Let Usman set up a sneaky question-mark kick over the top
What Islam will do right:
- Step forward as the kick retracts
- Close the distance before Ian resets
- Force the fight to the fence
2. Use the Fence as a Teammate
In the open cage, Ian’s length wins. Against the fence? Distance disappears.
| Open Cage | Against the Fence |
|---|---|
| Ian can circle away | Nowhere to run |
| Kicks have room to land | No space to extend legs |
| Long punches find targets | Islam smothers the output |
3. Chain Wrestling: Body Locks → Single Legs → Judo
Islam won’t just shoot once. He’ll chain attempts together:
- Pressure forward → force Ian to the fence
- Body lock (hug the torso) → control hips, stop knees
- Single leg entry → if Ian defends the body lock
- Judo trips/throws → use Ian’s height against him (taller = higher center of gravity)
PRO INSIGHT: Madden expects "a lot of body lock work against the fence, combined with the single leg to finish the takedown."
Why the Ground Is a Nightmare for Tall Fighters
Here’s the secret nobody talks about: Being tall is great on the feet, terrible on the mat.
| On the Feet (Pros) | On the Ground (Cons) |
|---|---|
| Long reach = free hits | Long limbs = easy to isolate |
| Can kick from far away | Extended arms/legs = submission targets |
| Hard to hit cleanly | High center of gravity = easy to off-balance |
When Islam gets those long limbs extended away from Ian’s body on the ground, he can:
- Trap arms for arm-triangles or kimuras
- Control the hips with leg rides
- Advance to mount or back control with less resistance
Madden’s prediction: "When — not if — he finds his shoulders on the canvas, that height becomes a disadvantage."
Summary: The Path to Victory in 5 Sentences
- Islam’s formula is proven: Early takedowns → massive control time → opponent breaks mentally and physically.
- Ian’s height is a new puzzle, but the solution is old: force the fight to the fence where reach doesn’t matter.
- Follow kicks in, don’t swat back — step into the pocket the moment the leg retracts.
- Chain wrestling at the fence (body lock → single leg → judo) will overwhelm Ian’s balance.
- Once on the ground, Ian’s length becomes a liability — Islam’s compact, suffocating top game eats tall fighters for breakfast.
FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered
Has Islam ever lost a fight because someone was too tall?
No. He’s beaten 6-footers like Oliveira and Hooker. But Ian is taller and better at using range — so this is the hardest version of that test yet.
What if Ian stuffs the first 3 takedowns?
Islam doesn’t panic. He’ll keep pressuring, keep chaining attempts, and keep stealing rounds with control time. Cardio and persistence are part of the system.
Can Ian knock Islam out on the way in?
Possible — Ian hits hard and times counters well. But Islam’s defense entering is elite: head movement, level changes, and he expects the counter. One clean shot changes everything, but the odds favor the wrestler over 25 minutes.
Why doesn’t Islam just strike with him?
He can strike (he dropped Alexander Volkanovski!), but wrestling is his highest-percentage path. Why play Ian’s game (kickboxing at range) when you can play yours (suffocating grappling)?
What’s "Father’s Plan" exactly?
It’s the coaching philosophy from Islam’s late father/coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov: relentless pressure, chain wrestling, fence control, and ground domination. No flash. Just fundamentals executed at a world-class level.
Final Thought: This isn’t a mystery. We’ve seen the movie before. The only question is: Can Ian write a different ending? History says probably not — but that’s why they fight.