Craig Jones just dropped a 12 minute breakdown on how Ian Garry could actually survive Islam Makhachev’s grappling, and while the delivery is classic Jones (filmed in a messy lounge area with his usual sarcasm), the technical detail underneath it is some of the sharpest analysis out there on the matchup.
Jones starts by walking through Makhachev’s bread and butter single leg, the elbow deep grip that lets him pull the leg in tight, anchor on the hip, and set up his signature club and step finish. He points out that most opponents make it worse for themselves by keeping the leg outside, which gives Makhachev exactly the angle he wants to step around and club them down.
The counter, according to Jones, is something Garry already has in his toolbox. He compares it directly to BJ Penn’s old foot inside hook, a detail that gave GSP fits for years. Garry showed a version of it against Vicente Luque, keeping his foot tucked inside to maintain distance and balance so that when the club attempt came, there was nothing there to land on. Jones argues that same look, combined with Garry’s height and range as a bigger welterweight, could be the one thing that actually slows Makhachev down.
From there Jones runs through a string of counters built off that inside foot position, including a butterfly style hook to stop the heel pick, a frame to shut down the hike up sweep, and even a chance to snake through and take the leg back if Makhachev overcommits to the club. He also brings up Conor McGregor’s pummel against Khabib Nurmagomedov as an example of using head position and foot placement to land in a stronger spot even when the takedown does land.
He closes the breakdown with a nod to Dustin Poirier’s gameplan, pointing out how forcing Makhachev to fight low and off the hip led him to adjust into an ankle pick that eventually got Poirier’s back. Jones suggests Garry could see the same adjustment if he plays his hooks right, and that it might open a similar opportunity depending on how the exchange unfolds.
Jones’s overall take is that Garry probably gets taken down at some point, but that this specific inside hook counter is the most realistic path to making Makhachev’s night difficult, and possibly to getting back to the feet or even taking the back if the wrestling exchange goes long enough.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
