Ian Machado Garry is blazing his own trail in the UFC, but the resemblance to Conor McGregor doesn’t go unnoticed.
From his bold personality outside the cage to the confidence he exudes in fights, the 26-year-old welterweight has always been open about his admiration for McGregor, who mastered the art of psychological warfare with his opponents. McGregor’s trash talk got fighters riled up even before they stepped foot in the octagon.
Machado Garry, who is set to face former teammate Vicente Luque at UFC 296, has followed a similar path in his career. Before his last fight against Geoff Neal, he created and sold a t-shirt featuring a mugshot of the welterweight vet, who had been arrested on suspicion of DUI.
After Neal pulled out of their fight, Machado Garry shifted his focus to his replacement, Neil Magny, especially after Magny stated that he intended to give Machado Garry an “ass whooping.” This comment didn’t sit well with Machado Garry, especially as a new father.
An intense exchange occurred at the UFC 296 press conference and carried over into the fight, with Magny, who ultimately lost by a wide margin, shouting at Machado Garry during the bout.
Magny revealed that Machado Garry’s words had real-world consequences, impacting his custody battle and his family. He expressed that it was more significant than just promoting a fight, and the situation had serious implications for his children’s well-being.
As much as it angered Magny to be portrayed negatively, Machado Garry stands by his actions, believing that he was only using his opponent’s words against him.
Machado Garry explained, “How do I turn the nice guy into the bad guy? I don’t believe I turned the nice guy into anything. I think I revealed him for what he is. Neil said the words he said in that press conference. The words that I used as ammunition came out of his own mouth.
“His words were, ‘I’m a father, and I’ve been accustomed to giving out beatings, and I’m going to give Ian Garry the same beating.’ You don’t say something like that. I’ve just had a boy. I’m a father. I’m a protector now. I have a life that I need to look after and care for, for the rest of my existence.
“When I hear a grown man sit there and say he’s gotten accustomed to whooping that ass, or that kind of ass-whooping, and he’s got a 3-year-old at home, Neil you’ve just done yourself in. I’m absolutely going to sit there and hound you about that. Because it’s your words, your actions. I’m just putting them out there for the world in a different way.”
On Neal’s arrest,