Ian Machado Garry: ‘Me and MVP Have the Opportunity to Put on One of the Greatest Striking Displays in UFC History’
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Ian Machado Garry fights MVP at UFC 303
Ian Machado Garry wants to kick off UFC 303 in explosive fashion.
There is only one problem. Garry isn’t certain that his opponent, Michael “Venom” Page, will oblige.
“There’s two ways I see this fight going, and it’s all on MVP’s shoulders,” said Garry. “He can give fans the greatest, most electrifying fight, or he can absolutely sh-- the bed and disappoint everyone. I’m going to show up and strike.
“MVP is either going to completely separate the distance, dance for 15 minutes, scrape to land a couple jabs, and try to win by decision–or he’s going to try to prove he’s the better striker. I don’t know if he’ll want to do that against someone who is younger, faster, and more technically sound. Will he take that risk? I almost guarantee he’ll be super cautious and upset the fans. But we have an opportunity to go out there and put on the best fight of the night. If he’s down, I’ll see him in the Octagon.”
Garry (14-0) is likely two victories away from a welterweight title shot. The 26-year-old Irish fighter defeated Geoff Neal by split decision in February at UFC 298, and now he has his sights set on Page (22-2), the longtime Bellator star.
Page, 37, defeated Kevin Holland by unanimous decision in March at UFC 299, which marked his Octagon debut. A victory will advance Garry’s trajectory to the title, though a loss would be damaging–Page is well respected in the sport, but he was never able to attain gold in Bellator.
If Garry is victorious, he can move up the rankings by fighting someone like Colby Covington, even though Covington seems to have no interest in that bout.
“I possess a lot of traits that people are worried about and fearful of,” said Garry. “I’m only 26. I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m undefeated, and I’m insanely talented. People see that, and they’re scared of that. That’s why top guys in the division don’t want to fight me. They know how dangerous it will be for them if they accept the fight.
“A lot needs to play out in the division. Do we see Kamaru Usman in the welterweight division again? What happens with Leon [Edwards] and Belal [Muhammad]? Does Colby keep running? What about Jack [Della Maddalena] and Shavkat [Rakhmonov]? All I know is I’m going out there on Saturday and I’m going to get my hand raised, stay undefeated, and I’ll be ready for whatever is next.”
Even with a victory, all of Garry’s plans for UFC 303 will not come to fruition. He wanted to fight on the same card as Conor McGregor, which appeared to be the case until McGregor had to drop out of his 303 fight against Michael Chandler.
“Of course, I’m disappointed, Conor’s the greatest showman in the history of the UFC,” said Garry. “He’s the guy who brings the most attention, and he’s the biggest draw and biggest star in a long, long time. But there’s no one more upset than the guy who was supposed to be fighting. I know that man is a warrior, and I know it’s going to really get under his skin that he won’t be fighting. I can’t wait to see him back. I’m excited to see the Mac back. When it happens, I want to be on the same card as him and represent Ireland.”
Before any victory celebration takes place in Dublin, Garry has a tough task in front of him. Page is smart about the way he fights, and he is unlikely to be drawn in to Garry’s style.
“Me and MVP have the opportunity to put on one of the greatest striking displays in UFC history,” said Garry. “Let’s go out there and see who’s better.”
Michael Chandler’s future still points toward bout with Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler called out Conor McGregor in November of 2022.
The two set out on a collision course this past spring as the two coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. Their highly anticipated bout was scheduled to headline UFC 303, making Las Vegas the fight capital of the world.
Then the hints and foreshadowing became reality, and McGregor dropped out of the fight. Moving forward, what is the best course of action for Chandler?
At this point, why not wait just a little longer?
Chandler has worked his whole career for a moment like this. He had some incredible moments in Bellator, but it was often discounted because it did not occur in the UFC. Now he is on the cusp of that career-altering moment, and it would be a shock if he did not wait until at least the end of the year to fight McGregor.
Chandler has come this far. He cannot stop now.
JUSTIN BARRASSO
Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.