Ian Machado Garry knows he’s ruffled some feathers in the MMA community—he just doesn’t care.
On Saturday, Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330. It’s Garry’s first title fight, and ahead of the bout, “The Future” has been making the media rounds to promote the event. While Garry has rubbed a portion of the MMA fanbase the wrong way since he broke into prominence, this latest media tour may have stirred the hornet’s nest more than ever when he suggested
that women should rule the world.
In response to his comments, several prominent MMA figures have ripped Garry for his personality and media appearances, including Makhachev, who said that Garry looks bad in his interviews and like he’s trying to be a bad guy. But Garry doesn’t care.
“I couldn’t care less,” Garry told the Spinning Backfist MMA Show. “Ahead of my fight with Belal Muhammad in Qatar, I walked out to boos. Go back and listen to the audio 30 seconds into the fight. ‘Let’s go, Garry! Let’s go!’ This sport is a pantomime. I couldn’t care less what people think of me. What I care about is becoming the champion of the world and proving that I was right. That the dream I had as a 16-year-old growing up in Dublin, Ireland, I fulfill that dream.
“What anyone else thinks about me, it’s irrelevant. My little boy is going to be front row when I win that belt. I couldn’t care what anyone else on this planet has to say about me or thinks about me. I want to see his smile. I want to see him and my wife. I want to give him the biggest cuddle I possibly can, and say, ‘Daddy did it!’ That’s all that matters to me.”
Garry has his opportunity to do just that on Saturday, but it’s a tall task in front of him.
Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now, and is quickly building a résumé to put him among the all-time greats. And as he heads into the biggest fight of his life, Garry is taking that same unconcerned approach when it comes to his preparation — this fight isn’t about what Makhachev can do, but what he will do.
“This fight camp, I have been so focused on me and everything I want to do to be the best in the world,” Garry said. “Not what Islam can do. I know Islam. I know Islam’s route to victory. I know what he has to do to try and get his hand raised this fight. It’s very simple. What I want to do is be the best version of me, so I can cause him the most frustration, the most irritation, and I can have fun.”
UFC 330 takes place this Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
