Irish welterweight fighter Ian Machado Garry will look to continue his unbeaten run in the UFC and rise through the welterweight rankings when he is up against Neil Magny at UFC 292. He was originally supposed to face Geoff Neal, but when he backed out due to an injury, Magny came to his rescue.
‘The Future’ has a brilliant MMA record of 12-0 and aspires to be like his fellow countryman Conor McGregor. He has also time and again expressed that he is the biggest fan of The Notorious, and the former UFC double champ’s rise and success have been an inspiration for him as a fighter.
However, Garry surprised many by signing a deal with Jake Paul, Conor’s bitter rival. The YouTuber turned boxer Paul runs a media company called Betr and has recently roped in the Irish welterweight. McGregor obviously does not have a good history with the Paul brothers.
However, Ian Garry does not see it as a problem, as he is dealing with it as an ‘adult’. He is of the opinion that it is fine to be friends with two different people who do not like each other. “If they have beef, that’s between them. I am an adult; I can have friends who don’t like each other,” said Ian Garry at a UFC media event.
“The truth is, with Conor, I need nothing from Conor. I have got every single bit of inspiration I have needed from Conor in his rise,” Garry further said. He was also delighted to hear that Conor was going to be present at UFC 292.
Ian Garry considers Conor McGregor his hero
Think what you will about his antics inside and outside the octagon or his recent form, but one has to accept that Conor McGregor is in a way responsible for helping the UFC reach where it is today. So, it is pretty obvious that many budding fighters take inspiration from the Irishman and aspire to achieve what he did.
Ian Garry, too, has expressed that Conor McGregor is his hero as he has done a lot for the sport. One might argue that Garry has betrayed his hero by signing with his rival Jake but as he said, this is what adulthood is.
Moreover, as a fighter, one has to take care of the business side of things as well, and being a fan of Conor, arguably the richest MMA fighter on the planet, Garry’s argument makes sense. So, what do you make of this move by Ian Garry? Let us know in the comments below!