Ian Machado Garry Wants To "Slap The Mouth Off" This Former UFC Titleholder

"When I put him unconscious, I’m gonna have a smile on my face."

Ian Machado Garry would love nothing more than to step into the Octagon against former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington for his next matchup.

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“The Future” has extended his unbeaten record to 12-0 since joining the UFC in 2021, and in his last fight he put on a dominant display against welterweight mainstay Neil Magny on the main card of UFC 292 in Boston.

The 25-year-old is now the UFC’s #11-ranked welterweight contender and has been angling for a matchup with former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, but when Ariel Helwani asked for his “dream matchup” for a possible card in Ireland next year Garry didn’t hesitate with his response.

(Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)

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“Colby Covington. I would love to thump the mouth off him, Ariel,” Garry said on The MMA Hour. “Oh my God, at home [in Ireland]. The only thing that annoys me about that, is I’d have more fun doing that in Miami, in his backyard. Walk into Miami, slap the mouth off him in front of all his fans. And I have no problem playing the heel, I have no problem going out there and being the bad guy for a weekend. ‘Cause at the end of the day, when I put him unconscious, I’m gonna have a smile on my face.”

Covington hasn’t competed since he won a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272 and has only fought once a year dating back to 2020, however the 35-year-old still appears to be the UFC’s first choice to challenge Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards next.

A matchup between the two men has been discussed since “Rocky” defended his belt at UFC 286, but Covington’s window to claim the division’s title may be closing with a number of young fighters like Garry rapidly making their way up the welterweight rankings.

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