We’ve been here before. A brash-talking Irishman is visualizing his path to the top of the sport and not being shy when describing how he plans to achieve it. We’re not talking about Conor McGregor, but instead his compatriot, Ian Machado Garry.
The twenty-five-year-old is certainly not shy of confidence. Earlier this week, Garry told Sky Sports that UFC fans in Europe would be more excited to tune in to watch his fight with Neil Magny over the headline bout, Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title.
Due to the time difference, fans living on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean usually have to stay up all night if they want to watch most UFC pay-per-view cards. Die-hard fans are happy to do so, whereas late nights for casual fans in Europe are typically reserved for Conor McGregor fights. A new Irishman is making headway, and there is no doubt (in his mind) that he’s going all the way to the top.
What would a win do for Ian Garry?
It’s hard to say. Garry was originally scheduled to face the number eight-ranked Geoff Neal at UFC 292, but his opponent had to pull out of the fight. Rather controversially, Garry has been pictured wearing a t-shirt with a mugshot of Neal printed on the front, which drew attention from social media and got people talking. The withdrawal of Neal disappointed Garry as he saw the bout as an opportunity to ascend the rankings; however, any negativity was short-lived.
His new opponent, Neil Magny, is ranked eleven, two spots above Garry. A win for ‘The Future’ would move him up the rankings but wouldn’t be enough to break into the top ten. The fighter who currently occupies that spot, Vicente Luque, won a decision this past weekend against Rafael dos Anjos.
Should Garry be victorious tonight, likely opponents for his next fight would be Stephen Thompson, who he has previously expressed interest in fighting, and Geoff Neal. With the latter, the bout has pretty much been sold already and would generate a lot of buzz.
Ian Garry has recently shown a willingness to step in at late notice, despite having a fight booked for Boston. If he’s victorious at UFC 292, we’ll probably see him in the octagon before the end of 2023, provided he comes through tonight unscathed. Garry is on a mission to get the welterweight title as soon as possible, and he’s undoubtedly got belief in himself to achieve his ultimate goal.
Tough tasks await Ian Garry in the future as the UFC Welterweight division is stacked, to say the least. Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is the current champion, and the current top five welterweights include Usman, Covington, Muhammad, Chimaev, and Burns. Wins over two of these are probably required to get a title shot against whoever the champion is by then – not exactly a walk in the park.
Like his MMA idol Conor McGregor, there is no self-doubt in Ian Garry’s mind, and it’s not difficult to see why. Garry has recent experience of seeing somebody from his home country reach the pinnacle of the UFC and transcend the sport on a global stage. ‘The Future’ has an unblemished 12-0 MMA record (5-0 UFC), and his last win over Daniel Rodriguez ended exactly how he predicted it would, via a head kick. So far, Garry has both talked the talk and walked the walk. Will it continue? We’ll find out in a few hours.
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