Ian Machado Garry on Sean Strickland: ‘I Will Take That Fight’

“He’s so trapped in his trauma that there’s nothing else for him to do other than spread hate.”

The MMA Notebook runs every Friday.

UFC 298 is another proving ground for Ian Machado Garry.

The volatile, undefeated 26-year-old out of Ireland has his sights set on Geoff Neal tomorrow. And Colby Covington. And Sean Strickland.

As the opponent for UFC 298, Neal comes first. Yet Garry has a big bout planned against Covington, and a blood war against Strickland.

“He’s calling my wife a pedophile because of our age gap,” said Garry, who is 14 years younger than his wife. “Here’s the thing–Strickland is a piece of sh--. And he’s so deeply, deeply traumatized from his past that he will find any way to share that hurt.”

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

Garry competes in the welterweight division, and his goal is to win the title. Yet he said he is willing to temporarily veer from that plan and move to middleweight to fight Strickland.

“No one’s ever talking about my wife or family and getting away with it,” said Garry. “I will take that fight. And I’ll talk sh-- to him in the Octagon when I’m beating the f--- out of him.

“He’s so trapped in his trauma that there’s nothing else for him to do other than spread hate. And it’s not just with me–he’s a dark cloud that will spread dark energy when he’s in that emotion. But then when someone talks about his personal life, he doesn’t like it. You can’t go at people repeatedly, aggressively, and violently, and then cry when they talk about you. Don’t pass the pain around to people who don’t deserve it.”

Before any bout against Strickland can be discussed, Garry (13-0) has Neal in front of him. Neal is ranked eighth in the division, two spots ahead of Garry, making this an even bigger opportunity for him.

Neal (15-5) has dropped three of his last five, including, most recently, a submission loss last March to Shavkat Rakhmonov. Garry is seven years younger than Neal, and following his one-sided victory against Neil Magny last summer, this is another bout he should win, even if it will likely take all three rounds.

“If you don’t respect Geoff and give him the respect he deserves, he’ll put your lights out,” said Garry. “There’s not many people in the division who you can say that about with confidence. He’s one of them. He’s tough, he’s durable, and he always seems to be there swinging in the last round.”

For Garry, this bout will allow him to showcase the elite nature of his distance control, his elusiveness, and his Octagon control.

“This fight is going to be touch him, touch him, touch him, wait until he reacts, then take his head off,” said Garry. “This is a dance I have to lead, and I have to make him miss.”

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

Providing he wins at 298, the plot will thicken for Garry. Potential matchups against the upper tier of the division, including Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, Sean Brady, Vicente Luque–and even, potentially, Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov–can all begin to become reality.

“I’ve trained with Gilbert,” said Garry. “He’s a really good family friend. I’ve trained with Shavkat, I’ve trained with Luque. I’m as game as game gets. Fighting, that’s what I do best. I’m excited to finish this fight on Saturday and then move forward again.”

Garry does not plan on stepping away for long after this fight. He wants to be on the same card as Conor McGregor, which is potentially this summer.

“That’s my goal, my plan,” said Garry. “Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler in the main, and Ian Machado Garry vs. Colby Covington in the co-main. Colby will do it–he’ll do what he’s told.”

The future is bright for Garry. Yet he cannot overlook the present, as a victory against Neal tomorrow at UFC 298 is a necessity to climb to the next step.

“My full focus is on myself,” said Garry. “My full focus is on going out and doing what I need to do. My full focus is on my family and my team. My focus is on enjoying myself. When I enjoy myself, I fight my best.”

---

The Pick ‘Em Section

UFC 298 featherweight title bout: Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Ilia Topuria

Pick: Alexander Volkanovski

UFC 298 middleweight bout: Rob Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa

Pick: Paulo Costa

UFC 298 welterweight bout: Ian Machado Garry vs. Geoff Neal

Pick: Ian Machado Garry

UFC 298 bantamweight bout: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo

Pick: Merab Dvalishvili

UFC 298 middleweight bout: Roman Kopylov vs. Anthony Hernandez

Pick: Anthony Hernandez

Last week: 2-3

2024 record: 6-8