UFC CEO Dana White believes Ian Machado Garry would've come closer to dethroning Islam Makhachev had he shown more "killer instinct" in the Octagon.
Makhachev defended the welterweight title against Garry at UFC 330 on Saturday in Philadelphia, earning a unanimous decision victory to set a new record for the longest winning streak in UFC history (17).
At the postfight press conference, White criticized Garry's approach during the bout.
"This is my honest opinion on it: I felt like tonight was set up for the upset," White said. "I felt like the upset could happen tonight."
He added: "I think that Ian is a talented guy. If he had even an ounce of killer instinct - in that fifth round, he had been beating him to the body. Islam's whole right side was beat up, his face was beat up. You don't come out and hug and shake hands. That shit drives me f-----g crazy."
Makhachev won the first two rounds on all three judges' scorecards, but Garry gained some momentum in the third. He began stuffing Makhachev's takedown attempts and was busier on the feet, but he also seemed content not to hunt for a finish in the late stages of the fight. Makhachev took the fourth round on two judges' scorecards and the fifth on all three to seal his first 170-pound title defense.
White also took issue with Garry's friendliness between rounds. At the start of the fifth, Garry walked to the center of the cage to shake Makhachev's hand.
"I think that Ian's a classy guy. ... He always shows class," White said. "Before the fight, he goes over and shakes all the corner's hands and all that stuff. It's great. But when that f-----g bell rings, you gotta switch. You gotta switch all that shit off. You definitely gotta do it in the fifth round."
He added: "You don't go shake the f-----g GOAT's hand going into the fifth round; you come out to f-----g annihilate him. That just has to be your mindset, in my humble opinion."
White said he thought Garry was fresher than Makhachev going into the final round and that it could've been a "totally different fight" had Garry gone for the finish.
"I think that this is one of those fights that Ian will go back and watch and say, 'F--k, wish I could do that over again,'" White said.
Makhachev echoed White's sentiment, saying Garry is too kind during his fights.
"This is a fight. This is not something we have to hug each other every round," Makhachev said at the postfight press conference, according to MMA Junkie. "We are going to war, to break the face, to break the eye. I respect all my opponents, but Ian respects too much."
He added: "This is a fight; this is not a game."
