UFC star Ian Machado Garry won’t let his haters stop him from becoming ‘one of the greatest of all time’
Whether you love him or you hate him, Ian Machado Garry is here to stay.
‘The Future’ scored his 14th straight win on Saturday night, securing a split decision victory over Geoff Neal as part of the UFC 298 main event in Anaheim. The W will likely move Garry a few notches higher in the welterweight top 10, much to the chagrin of fight fans who have grown to loathe and detest his brash and cocky attitude in recent months.
But whether or not he has the support of UFC fans makes no difference to the Dublin native. Admiration — or in this case, the lack thereof — will not deter Garry in his goal of one day becoming one of the greatest mixed martial arts in the world.
“I’m not trying to be anything,” Garry told Ariel Helwani during an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I’m being myself. I’m not trying to be the good guy. I’m not trying to be the villain. I’m not trying to be the hero. I’m not trying to be anything on this planet, but [whether] people want to boo or people want to cheer, I’m showing up and doing what I want.
“So when I’m standing in the Octagon with Joe Rogan trying to do my post-fight interview and the whole crowd is booing… In the end, you’re all here watching me. Keep booing. That’s the type of person I am. Someone says something to me in the street, I’m gonna be like, ‘Hey, get back here. Don’t chat sh*t and then run away.’ That’s the person I am. Obviously, having everyone behind you is amazing, but at the end of the day, whether they love me or they hate me, I’m showing up to do what I want to do and that’s become one of the greatest of all time.”
Labeled as nothing more than a Conor McGregor wannabe, Ian Machado Garry began to draw the ire of fighters and fans after a slew of his co-workers, including Sean Strickland and Colby Covington, slammed his unconventional marriage to 40-year-old TV personality Layla Anna-Lee. ‘The Future’ has been repeatedly forced to defend his wife and the fact that he chose to take her maiden name rather than the more traditional approach.
Strickland also labeled Garry a “cuck” after learning that Anna-Lee’s ex-husband — Richard Cullen — is currently employed as the Irishman’s nutritionist. That led to accusations that the former partners were still romantically involved with one another, something Garry vehemently denies.
Garry’s reputation for being a “nomad” in the gym certainly did him no favors. He was notoriously booted from Team Renegade — the home gym of current welterweight king Leon Edwards — last year for “not adding to the team’s culture.” Michael Chandler and Brendan Allen have also commented on the frustrations of dealing with Garry in the gym.
But no matter your take on Machado Garry, the fact remains that he is undefeated in his MMA career and in less than two years with the promotion, has already entered the UFC’s welterweight top 10.
