Ian Machado Garry’s dwindling dream of competing on the same card as his MMA hero has been reignited after a top welterweight accepted a fight with him.
The Irish star is desperate to share the stage with his countryman Conor McGregor when he makes his return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. But after Colby Covington turned down the bout due to an injury, it seemed he may have to stay on ice a little longer.
But Garry may have found his way on to the card with McGregor at the last minute. One of the UFC’s fast-rising 170lb fighters has told the promotion in recent days that he would take the matchup as soon as next week if the pair were to be matched.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page agrees to Ian Machado Garry fight at UFC 303
Newly-signed Michael ‘Venom’ Page has answered the call and verbally agreed to face Garry, noting that he would be able to make the welterweight limit within days if the fight were made. And it could be the Irishman’s saving grace after losing out on a grudge fight with Covington.
Speaking on the Sky Sports MMA Club podcast, the Brit explained that he has had contact with the UFC about the bout and accepted instantly. “There was like a ‘send your weight, Michael what do you think of Ian Garry,’ and I had asked for him directly after the fight,” he said.
“I thought that would be a great match and I knew the UK card was coming up. But they said Colby has already taken that fight so it was not really a thing but they’d look for somebody else at the same time.
“So in my head I was like ‘yeah, I already knew I was going to be fighting in Manchester but I was just waiting for an opponent’. Colby’s got some kind of issue that I haven’t looked into but he can’t take the fight and they asked if I would and I was like ‘yeah, let’s put it on the UK card that just makes sense’.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page would prefer Ian Machado Garry fight at UFC 304
Page is already a big name as a kickboxer with multiple vicious highlight reel knockouts during his career in Bellator. And he believes that his ability to draw eyeballs means that he doesn’t have to cling to being on a Conor McGregor card.
Instead, he would rather fight at UFC 304 in Manchester this July. But he feels Garry may believe he needs that McGregor shine, adding: “I don’t mind but it just makes more sense for the UK, he’s Irish, I’m English it’s a big card and it would be a great fight.
“I think he likes to just hang on the back of people’s coattails so he sees Conor McGregor and gets excited. I don’t care about stuff like that because yeah being on a Conor show there’s eyes, but when I fight there’s eyes.
“I like to create my own light, I don’t like to jump on the back of somebody else. It doesn’t bother me outside of that it would be a cool UK card and that’s a great fight for the UK.
“Now he’s just changing it but I’ve accepted it, I’ve accepted the fight and we’re just waiting. He says he’s accepted it, but this guy likes to talk.”
Ian Machado Garry accepts fight with Michael ‘Venom’ Page
Garry took to social media in recent days to share his excitement about the prospect of facing Page in his next octagon outing. He had been keen to get his hands on Covington amid an heated feud, but has accepted a much different challenge in the interim.
“I’ve said yes,” Garry told talkSport with regards to Page. “I’ve said yes to that name. Him and his coaches are deciding because he seems a bit heavy to make weight in seven weeks time, but I’ve said yes.”
In fact, the unbeaten Irishman claims to have accepted almost every name in the sport, saying: “I’ve said yes to every single person that has come my way. That is what I do and since I’ve entered the UFC, I’ve done nothing different. I say, ‘Yes.’ I say, ‘What date? Where? And when?”
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