THE CRUEL MISTAKE: WHY MAKHACHEV THINKS GARRY’S TWO-MONTH WRESTLING CAMP IS A FAILURE

Islam Makhachev isn't impressed by Ian Garry. Discover why the champ thinks Garry's Georgia trip is a "cruel mistake" for 2026.

The Cruel Mistake: Why Makhachev thinks Garry’s two-month wrestling camp is a failure
Makhachev confirms UFC hasn't offered the Ian Garry fight yet

Islam Makhachev doesn’t buy the idea that Ian Machado Garry can just spend a couple of months working on his wrestling and suddenly be ready to face him.

Ever since Makhachev grabbed the UFC welterweight belt last November, he’s been getting called out left and right by Garry. The Irishman’s convinced he’s the real top contender at 170, especially after stacking wins over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad. He’s now ranked number two, and even though he isn’t locked in as the next title challenger, Garry’s making noise and prepping like he’s on deck.

Earlier this week, Garry had fans buzzing after he posted a photo from the airport, about to board a flight to Tbilisi, Georgia. He’s said before that if he ever fought Makhachev, he’d head to Georgia to sharpen his wrestling with the best around. Naturally, everyone started speculating that the fight was happening soon.

But Makhachev isn’t impressed. He called Garry’s trip a “cruel mistake,” saying two or three months in a wrestling camp won’t cut it. “I’ve said it before; it’s a mistake for fighters to think they can just join a camp for a couple of months and be ready,” he told Ushatayka. “Honestly, it just sets them up for failure. You go somewhere for a short time, start to believe you’ve really improved, and then it all falls apart in the cage. Nobody learns to wrestle in two or three months. You have to start as a kid and keep at it for years.”

Despite all the hype, Makhachev says there haven’t been any real talks with the UFC about facing Garry. “I’ve just seen the rumours online, to be honest. No one from the UFC has talked to me about that fight specifically.”

Still, Makhachev’s aiming to return in June. Maybe it’ll be at the UFC’s White House event, maybe right after. Either way, he’s getting ready, opponent or not.

DEXTER LAWRENCE TRADE REQUEST LOOMS OVER GIANTS' PREPARATIONS FOR PITTSBURGH NFL DRAFT

Dexter Lawrence wants out! Discover why the Giants are considering a trade before the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

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Dexter Lawrence trade talks intensify as contract negotiations hit a dead wall - Courtesy Picture

The New York Giants might have no choice but to trade Dexter Lawrence before the NFL Draft. Negotiations on a new contract with the star defender have hit a wall, and Lawrence already asked for a trade earlier this month. He's skipped the team’s first offseason practices under new head coach John Harbaugh, which hasn’t helped matters.

At this point, the Giants have been talking with several teams about a possible deal for Lawrence. With the draft coming up in Pittsburgh next week, the pressure is on. They need picks, and right now they only hold two selections in the top 100. Harbaugh’s trying to breathe new life into the roster, but he needs more draft capital to do it.

News of the stalled negotiations came just hours after GM Joe Schoen sounded pretty upbeat, saying talks had been "productive". He explained that he, Harbaugh, and senior VP Dawn Aponte were all in regular contact with Lawrence’s reps, looking for some kind of resolution. Schoen insisted they want Dexter to stay, but he admitted it’s out of their hands now. They’ll just have to see what happens.

Lawrence, 28, signed a four-year, $90 million extension last year. Since then, defensive contracts have exploded, so his deal has dropped to just 11th among league defenders. On top of that, the team’s shaken up its roster, letting go of many Lawrence’s close teammates like Saquon Barkley.

Lawrence has been with the Giants since they drafted him 17th overall in 2019. He’s played his whole seven-year career in New York, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro honours. His career stats include 30.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception. But last year wasn’t great; he only managed half a sack, eight QB hits, and a pass rush win rate of 8.3 per cent for a team that finished 4-13. It’s hard to tell if he’ll stay with the Giants much longer.

RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE

No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.

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Rory McIlroy secures historic consecutive Masters titles - Courtesy Picture

Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.

He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.

He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.

“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”

So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.

Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.

Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.

“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”

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