Belal Muhammad believes Ian Machado Garry could look back on his UFC 330 loss to Islam Makhachev with some regret, particularly over the way he approached the fight.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Monday, the former UFC welterweight champion questioned whether Garry showed enough urgency during the bout, suggesting that his mindset needs to change following the defeat.
“I don't think (Dana White) was happy about the way (Garry) performed, especially when he goes out there and he says ‘he needs the killer instinct, what's with this hugging, like you're doing all that hugging stuff and you're down in the fifth round, like you got to have the killer instinct, you got to go for it’,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad pointed to Garry's physical condition after the fight as evidence that he did not take enough risks while trailing on the scorecards.
“His face wasn't beat up, right? It wasn't (Israel) Adesanya versus (Kelvin) Gastelum, more where you're like ‘oh yeah let's do it’. You were losing, so mindset wise he needs to flip the switch.”
While Muhammad believes the loss could ultimately benefit Garry, he warned that opportunities can disappear quickly in MMA.
“Like I said, I think his mindset was ‘we didn't get tapped, we got up from a couple takedowns’, those are wins for him and he has to change that,” Muhammad said. “Stock wise I think he's gonna learn from it, he's gonna get better from it, but this game is unforgiving, right?”
Muhammad also highlighted how a single moment could have dramatically changed the outcome and Garry's trajectory.
“You could go against (Michael) Morales next, get one punch and get knocked out,” Muhammad said. “That head kick that Islam landed on you in the second round, if it knocked you out it changes everything else, right?”
For Muhammad, the loss should serve as a reminder that fighters cannot afford to let opportunities pass them by.
“Like, you can't waste an opportunity, you can't waste a moment and I felt like he definitely wasted moments there.”
