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Add Israel Adesanya to the list of Ian Machado Garry fans. Following his first-round TKO of Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Charlotte this past May, the ‘Future’ was more than happy to blow his own horn in the post-fight interview: ‘UFC, you have a new star in town!’
From what he has seen from Machado Garry, the reigning UFC middleweight champion agrees.
Israel Adesanya: Ian Machado Garry is a future UFC champion
In one of the most recent videos on his official YouTube channel, Israel Adesanya discussed Machado Garry and his potential in the UFC. With wins against Gabe Green, Song Kenan and now, Daniel Rodriguez, the ‘Last Stylebender’ sees the Irish fighter going from contender to champion in the near future.
“He’s clean,” said Israel Adesanya. “He even called it. I saw a clip of him talking prior to the fight, saying that he wanted to catch him with a high kick—a right high kick. Anything else is an accident.
“I like the way he carries himself,” continued Israel Adesanya. “…He’s got that spirit about him. He’s that dude. He’s a player in the game. I think he’s just a future champion, for sure. Even right now, he’s young, so he’s definitely a future champion.”
Machado Garry is 12-0 and sits at No. 13 in the official UFC rankings.
Newly ranked Ian Machado Garry wants Neil Magny next
In his previously mentioned post-fight interview, Ian Machado Garry also requested a specific name for his next fight. The undefeated fighter said he wanted Neil Magny, the grizzled veteran who Machado Garry declared the ‘gatekeeper’ of the UFC welterweight division.
For Machado Garry, if a fighter wants to go further in the promotion, then they have to go through the gatekeepers. That apparently has made Magny an excellent next target.
“In an absolute ideal world, [Magny] wins [against Phil Rowe at UFC Jacksonville in June], that would be the ideal,” said Machado Garry during an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “I think, regardless — and this is no disrespect to Phil Rowe — I think a lot of people know who Neil Magny is and don’t know who Phil is. So I still think that Neil Magny is the bigger name and the one that the fans will notice more.
“Obviously, I want him to win, I want him to go out there and do well so that when we come together it’s massive,” continued Machado Garry. “But I believe that, regardless, me vs. Neil Magny is a step up to the rest of the competition I’ve ever faced and it’s exciting for me to go out there and test myself against a guy of his caliber.”
Ian Machado Garry explains his six-fight plan to gold
A fight with Magny is the first part of a six-fight plan, something Machado Garry explained to the UFC brass after his win against Rodriguez. The ‘Future’ said he wanted to go through the rest of the UFC welterweight division two at a time. That way, if he gets to the top, no one would question him when he receives his first championship opportunity.
UFC president Dana White is all in on the the youngster’s ambition.
“He looked awesome tonight,” said White at the UFC Charlotte post-fight press conference. “Obviously, he fought a guy who is very durable, dangerous, and a prospect in his own right. I mean, that’s why we build these types of cards, especially the main events. He looked awesome tonight. He’s super confident, and that kid’s ready to take over the world. Came back and talked to him tonight, and he’s down for whatever, whenever, wherever. He’s fun.
“You know what he said to us tonight? He said, ‘I want to beat all the top guys in the top 10. I want to beat all the guys in the top 5. I want to make sure there’s no doubt or question that when I fight for the title that people know I deserve it.’ That’s a fun guy. He’s fun. We have the Irish guy blueprint around here. So, we’ll probably take him to Boston, or [Madison Square Garden] MSG, and then eventually Ireland if he keeps doing what he’s doing.”
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