Islam Makhachev Reveals Brother Hid Tragic Death News During Fight Camp: “Didn’t Want to Distract You”
Islam Makhachev was dealing with more than the pressure of a UFC title fight during his preparation for Ian Machado Garry. The Dagestani fighter has revealed that his favorite horse died while he was away training in America.
Makhachev only found out about the loss after returning home. His brother had known what happened but decided to keep it from him until his fight camp was over. Speaking to Match TV, The pound-for-pound champ revealed:
“When I was training in America, it turned out that my horse d*ed. He was already quite old, about 20 years old,” Makhachev said. “And when I arrived [back in Dagestan], my brother told me, he said ‘I didn’t want to distract you during the preparation process, so that you wouldn’t worry there.’”
Makhachev has spoken about his love for horses and riding in the past. The horse had been with Makhachev for years and was already around 20 when it passed away.
His brother apparently felt that telling him about it in the middle of camp could have taken his mind away from the work he had in front of him.
Islam Makhachev Defended His UFC Welterweight Title Against Ian Machado Garry
Islam Makhachev was preparing for one of the biggest fights of his career when the loss happened. He faced Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on August 15.
The fight went the full five rounds, with Makhachev getting the decision after the judges scored it 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. He used his wrestling to control much of the fight, while Garry had some of his best moments with his striking in the middle rounds.
The victory gave Makhachev his first successful defense of the UFC Welterweight championship. It also marked his 17th straight UFC win, moving him past Anderson Silva’s previous record for consecutive victories inside the Octagon.
For Makhachev, the result came after a camp in which he did not even know about the loss waiting for him back home. His brother chose to tell him only after the fight was behind him.
