Irish prospect Ian Machado Garry is set to fight Neil Magny in the main card of UFC 292, which is scheduled to happen on August 19 in Boston, Massachusetts. Garry has often been compared to McGregor, as both fighters are from Ireland, and both of them like to gain attention with their bold statements.
Of course, there is no comparison between their popularity and reputation. McGregor is arguably the most popular fighter in the history of MMA, and Ian Garry is just starting out. However, the latter thinks that he is also on his way to being a fan favorite just like his idol, as he recently stated that he is the main attraction of UFC 292. A pretty bold thing to say when you are fighting on a card that has two title fights.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, ‘The Future’ said, “I believe that I am carrying this 292 card on my back, and that if it wasn’t for me, this card would go down the drain.” He also talked about the support he will be receiving from the Irish fans.
However, fight fans did not feel the same way, as one of them commented, “I knew he was fighting, but to say he is carrying the card is complete insanity.” Another user wrote that they had no idea that Garry was fighting on the card: “I didn’t know he was fighting, lol”. A YouTube user commented, “I was completely indifferent to Ian, but I’m rooting for Neil now lmao.”
This just goes on to show that MMA as a sport demands humility and respect from a fighter, and the fans also expect the same, especially when you are just starting out and have a lot to achieve.
Is Ian Garry really the superstar at UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O’Malley?
Ian Garry Machado is of the opinion that no one in Europe will be interested in waking up early to watch Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley. “They’re staying there; they’re tuning in for me because I’m a superstar in Europe.” Garry echoed his previous comments at the UFC media event. But is this really the case? Let’s take a look.
Let us start with the MMA Hour, hosted by Ariel Helwani. Ian Garry’s interview crossed 37k views in 2 days, which is a decent number, but it is not even half of what Aljamain Sterling’s interview garnered. The Funkmaster interview crossed 79k views in the same amount of time as Garry’s.
At the same time, Sean O’Malley’s interview got 263k views in a week’s time. So, we clearly get an idea of who is the more popular fighter here. Moreover, Sugar Sean and Sterling have massive Instagram followings of 2.9 million and 655k, respectively, which is way higher than Ian Garry’s 355k followers.
This comparison might seem a bit out of place to some, but social media following and engagement are the appropriate metrics that one can use to attach credibility to this argument. What do you think about Ian Garry’s claims? Let us know in the comments!