Leon Edwards welcomes title fight with rival Ian Machado Garry after UFC 296: ‘He’s a bit of a snake’
Preparing to take on former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington at UFC 296 this weekend, incumbent division best, Leon Edwards has welcomed the possibility of a run-in inside the Octagon with Irish contender, Ian Machado Garry in the future, branding the Dubliner a “snake” amid their recent training fall out.
Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 286 back in March of this year in London, landing a close, majority decision win over former champion and prior pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman in the pair’s championship trilogy rubber match.
Leon Edwards talks potential Ian Machado Garry clash
As for Machado Garry, the Portmarnock striker also features at UFC 296 this weekend – taking on perennial contender, Vicente Luque in a high-stakes main card clash, attempting to improve to 14-0 as a professional.
In his most recent outing, the former Team KF staple took home a one-sided unanimous decision shutout win over Neil Magny – defeating the division’s most winningest fighter at UFC 292 back in August in Boston.
And addressing the Dubliner’s recent booting from his home facility, Team Renagade BJJ & MMA in Birmingham, Edwards distanced himself from a prolonged rift, before welcoming a fight with the outspoken challenger in the future, whom was labelled a “snake” to boot.
“We didn’t really have a fall out,” Leon Edwards told TalkSPORT during a recent interview. “You know, he (Ian Machado Garry) trained at my gym for like two weeks. So, he wasn’t actually like a teammate, he kind of bounced around different gyms.”
“The coaches suspected he was a little bit of a snake because he was telling me information about gyms he has been at,” Leon Edwards explained. “We thought, ‘Maybe this guy is not the right guy for the gym’, and they asked him to leave. He’s got a big fight on his hands this Saturday night, and we’ll see down the line. If he keeps winning, why not? If he keeps winning, but I think he’s a long way away from the title shot.”
Who wins in a future fight after UFC 296: Leon Edwards or Ian Machado Garry?
