Adesanya On Makhachev's Feinting Before UFC 330

Israel Adesanya singled out Islam Makhachev's feinting as the most impressive aspect of the welterweight champion's standup game ahead of his UFC 330 title defense.

Makhachev captured UFC gold at 170 pounds last November with a decision win over Jack Della Maddalena, and while his grappling dominated the conversation, Adesanya told visitors at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in late 2025 that the Dagestani's setups stole the show. "You look at Islam vs. JDM, I was very impressed with Islam's feinting," Adesanya said in footage posted by Home of Fight, per BJPenn.com. "I always say sometimes I overfeint, but that's good because they never see it coming, but Islam did that in his last fight with JDM. There was points he just was feinting 12 times before he even threw a jab."

How Makhachev's Feints Could Impact Garry Fight

Adesanya noted Makhachev kept up the flurry of feints deep into the Della Maddalena bout, a tactic designed to keep opponents guessing between wrestling shots and strikes. Makhachev meets Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia, with the champion promising a more aggressive approach than he showed in his title-winning performance. Garry has positioned himself as the perfect stylistic test for the dual-weight titleholder.

The UFC has Michael Morales on standby as a backup in case either Makhachev or Garry suffers a last-minute withdrawal. Makhachev is predicting a finish in his first welterweight title defense.

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• BJPenn — Israel Adesanya impressed by one aspect of Islam Makhachev’s standup ahead of UFC 330 title defense