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Welterweight Ian Machado Garry is still riding high after his utterly dominant win over Neil Magny at UFC 292. He’s traveled back to Ireland and joined Andy Stevenson of Severe MMA for a video interview that revealed several interesting nuggets about his very big plans for the future.
Garry commented about his relationship with the Irish fans, after mentioning that “every single one of them (curses),” he went on to say, “what I find about a lot of Irish is they notice me. And they don’t say anything or they just come up and say ‘congrats on the success,’ and walk away.”
As much as he may be basking in the glory of his latest victory, however, the emerging Irish star revealed that he’s already got plans in motion for his fighting future. Most notably, it sounds like he wants to skip fighting at Madison Square Garden and go straight to Las Vegas and on to Dublin.
Ian Machado Garry visualizes headlining at home
The interview was held outside the 3Arena in Dublin which is a likely location for a potential UFC return. Stevenson asked Garry to visualize headlining there.
“(I visualize) just causing absolute chaos. Just having the most amount of people that can fit into that stadium. Causing a bit of pandemonium. Bringing a main event back to Dublin that is going to be one for the ages, one to remember and one to excite the Irish MMA media and the fan base.”
Ian Machado Garry inspired by Conor McGregor
Ian Machado Garry has never denied that Mystic Mac was his great inspiration to get into mixed martial arts and Stevenson got him to elaborate.
“Look, it’s inevitable that Connor is gonna have inspiration (on) my career look at where we grew up. Look at it. …The mayhem that that man caused in Ireland, just, it feels like that man is part of the f—king religion of the country now. He’s someone people are gonna look up to and draw inspiration from for years to come.
“Because what he did was sensational and the way he did it — in the way he took over the USA and the pandemonium that he caused in Vegas with the fans, and just the excitement. The build of the fights was different than anything we’d ever seen. He changed the game forever. And as a young kid who’s excited by what he did, absolutely, there’s going to be comparisons, but also I’m from Dublin, Ireland.
“I was the new generation of Irish fighters in the UFC. And obviously, having that inspiration from Conor drove me what I’m here to do. I’m here to do my own career. I’m here to show the world what Ian Machado Garry can do to the world, what (I) can do for MMA, and how I can do it very differently. It’s time to write my own history, and I’m excited by it. And I told everybody what was gonna happen and it’s just all come to fruition,” Garry said.
The road back to Dublin for Ian Machado Garry
When asked his immediate plans, Ian Machado Garry mentioned his “handshake deal” with Dana White who “guaranteed” that “when I do something we agreed that he will bring (the UFC) back to Dublin.”
Garry was mum on what that something was. He did agree with Stevenson that there is only “one more fight” between himself and headlining a Dublin card.
“Obviously I would have loved to have done it yet by the end of this year, but with the scheduling and everything this is not possible. But 100% (if) I get another massive win in December, I’m not doing anything until they get me in this venue (the 3A Arena in Dublin),” Garry claimed.
When asked about the possibility of fighting in Madison Square Garden (at UFC 295 in November), Garry responded, “December in Vegas. Sounds good to me. F—k MSG, New York in November. It’s freezing and the tax is ridiculous. So f—k that. We’ll skip that and we’ll go fight in Vegas where it’s a little bit warmer.”
Potential Wonderboy Thompson and Colby Covington matchups
Stevenson pointed out that Dana White has said that Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has already turned down a bout with Ian Machado Garry and asked if he still believed the fight would happen.
“Yes. It’s a smart negotiation tactic to say no straight away. I think the truth of it is, as a fan of MMA. I’m not remotely interested in watching Steven “Wonderboy” Thompson fight Islam (Makhachev). Steven “Wonderboy” Thompson is phenomenal at what he does and he is an amazing striker. And we need someone who’s going to go in there and stay on the feet with him, (who will) go in there and put on a f*cking show. Not someone who is going to try taking him down and suffocate what’s so beautiful about Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. As a fan of the sport, put him in there with me and let’s go have some fun,” Garry said.
When asked about his plans post-Thompson, Garry continued, “Look I want to get the title as the best striker in the division and that comes with beating Wonderboy. After that I want to start tackling the grapplers and the wrestlers because I want to show the world that I am not just a striker, and anyone who’s ever trained with me knows that I can do it all.”
“So to fight the Usmans, to fight the Colbys to fight whoever they can put in front of me that’s going to want to try to take me down and and get rid of my hands and my feet. I’m excited to show the world what else I’m capable of,” Garry continued. “You give me Sean Brady, I’ll submit him. You give me (Kamaru) Usman or Colby (Covington), I’ll out grapple them, outwrestle them. I don’t care what it is, I’ll find a way to win.”
When Stevenson asked, “When you think of Dublin, who’s standing across from you?” Garry answered, “It’s tough to say because the division changes so quickly with a win or a loss, and obviously in the top 10 it’s a lot of politics (about) who’s matched and who’s not but I’d love to bring someone like Colby here. I don’t know if they’d ever do that but I think that would be exciting.”
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