Islam Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by decision atop the UFC 330 card that took place Saturday, the 15th of April in Philadelphia. It was yet another signature victory for the 34-year-old, who only enhances his claim as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

Islam Makhachev Decisions Ian Machado Garry

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Makhachev exerted control on the fight from the off, forcing Machado Garry to manage risk, and defend like he did against Shavkat Rakhmanov.

While the oppressive Sambo wrestling style Makhachev excels in can draw comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov, it is actually the striking that separates him from his mentor. And that was apparent early in the second, when Makhachev made Machado Garry see stars, dropping him with a nasty head kick that could be heard throughout the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Irishman got back to his feet pretty quick, but there was no let up in the action from Makhachev, who threw striked, forced a grueling pace, and took him down to the ground with a headlock. Though the challenger scrambled to escape, it was even greater evidence Makhachev’s sustained dominance from lightweight was surviving the trip to welterweight.

In the third, Garry attemped a few strikes. Low kick. Oblique kicks. And kicks to the head. But it wasn’t long before Makhachev attempted a single leg and got another takedown. For all the praise of Makhachev’s variety in attack, and the suffocation of his wrestling, there is something Machado Garry does well, too — defend. Countering. Garry threw punches. Jabs. Body kick. And a head kick. Enough to win a round and pull him back so he’d only be down two rounds to one when heading into the championship rounds.

Machado Garry maintained his momentum into the fourth as, though Makhachev had the takedowns, it was he who scored way more damage, landing obliques, body kicks, and jabs. An interesting round and point in time in the fight as it could, in theory, be all square ahead of the fifth and final round.

But if ever there were a critical response for a champion to give, it was Makhachev — tired, and with facial bruises — who dragged Garry down, holding him to the ground, firing off punches of his own.

More to follow…

Manchester United suffered a 4-2 defeat to Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan in a pre-season friendly, with the Red Devils twice taking the lead only to be pegged back before a late Milan surge sealed the win.

Harry Maguire’s early header and Patrick Dorgu’s second-half strike both proved insufficient as goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Alphadjo Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed the turnaround. It capped a tough afternoon for United, with Luke Shaw in particular struggling to deal with Milan’s pace and movement throughout.

But the result wasn’t the only talking point, as full-time brought an awkward moment between Amorim and some of his old squad.

Ruben Amorim’s Turbulent Spell in Charge of Manchester United

Amorim’s time at Old Trafford proved to be a turbulent one, with the Portuguese manager sacked in January after a difficult period of results left United struggling to keep pace in the Premier League table.

His methods and man-management style came in for repeated criticism during his tenure, with fallouts involving several first-team players eventually contributing to the club’s decision to part ways in January.

Michael Carrick has since overseen an upturn in form as interim boss, results that earned him the job on a full-time basis. Saturday’s win with Milan will have offered him some personal vindication, even if it came in a pre-season friendly rather than a competitive fixture.

Ruben Amorim Snubbed by Former United Players

Despite the result, full-time brought a warm reunion between Amorim and his former squad, with almost every player who worked under the Portuguese during his time in charge making a point of greeting him pitchside. The exceptions were notable: Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Diogo Dalot were all seen keeping their distance, choosing not to embrace their old manager.

Rashford in particular endured a well-documented fallout with Amorim that led to two separate loan spells away from Old Trafford, first with Aston Villa, before spending last season with Barcelona, while Mainoo also found himself frozen out of regular game time during the Portuguese’s tenure.

Dalot’s snub of the 41-year-old is far more bizarre, with no public fallout said to have taken place. The United full-back’s form was publicly challenged by Amorim, but Dalot later praised his manager at the time for raising standards.

Ruben Amorim appeared to have a cheeky dig at Manchester United manager Michael Carrick after he beat his old team 4-2 with AC Milan on Saturday.

The two teams met in a pre-season friendly at Tarczynski Arena in Poland. Amorim got the last laugh against his former employers despite seeing his team fall behind twice, to goals from Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu.

Those goals weren’t enough to secure victory, however, as Samuel Chukwueze, AlphadjoCisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed a remarkable turnaround. On the day, the Italians deserved to emerge with a win.

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

When walking through the mixed zone following the pre-season win, Amorim was met by fans waiting to take pictures with him, as well as familiar media faces. Simon Stone, a BBC Sport reporter, had a brief encounter with the Portuguese tactician.

They shared a warm greeting before the journalist let Amorim know that his explosive press conferences were missed. After laughing off the comment, the 41-year-old then remarked: “More boring now.”

Of course, the man who now sits in Amorim’s seat at those press conferences is Michael Carrick. The former Red Devils midfielder is seen as a more composed and calm customer than Amorim proved to be at times.

He originally took over the role in January on a temporary basis, before being handed a permanent deal in the summer as Man Utd secured Champions League football.

Amorim Still ‘Loves Manchester United’ Despite Struggles

REUTERS/Daniele

Speaking in his post-match interview, the ex-United boss confirmed he still has positive feelings towards the English giants, despite how his spell at the club went.

When asked if it felt like he got revenge on his old team, he said (per Express Sport): “No, it’s a normal game. Since I signed with Milan, I haven’t felt anything about Manchester United. I’m just proud to have been at Manchester United and I still love Manchester United, but after signing with Milan, I don’t feel anything negative about anything because I’m very happy.

“I’m where I should be. So I just want to continue here. I wanted to win a game in pre-season to give our fans a good image.”

The 4-2 success was actually Amorim’s first victory since being appointed by the San Siro club earlier this summer. He started his tenure with the seven-time European champions with draws against Celtic and Inter Milan, before being beaten 3-0 by Chelsea.