Like it or not, Ian Machado Garry has been in perfect form in his MMA career.
The 26-year-old Irishman improved to 8-0 in the Octagon with a hard-fought victory over Michael Page on Saturday at UFC 303. While Page had success with his striking, Garry showed off his grappling to win the first and third rounds, nearly catching Page with a tight rear-naked choke attempt within the opening minutes of the bout.
After the unanimous victory by a score of 29-28, Garry reflected on his play.
“I'm really pissed that I didn't get the submission in the first round,” he said at the post-fight press conference at UFC 303. “I'm really pissed, but I improved a lot today. I pissed him off. I was like a snake charmer turning a snake charmer.”
“He likes to dance with you, to move, to keep a flow, a rhythm, and he works off of that rhythm and timing. I attacked him in stealth mode. I took him down, I got him. He didn't have much success, and I didn't have much success in the stand-up. I wobbled him with a right hand in the second round, and I saw his eyes move, and I was like, 'Hold up.' I've been saying that all week. I told Demian that too.” [Maia]I told Diego [Lima]”I told the whole team, perseverance was the key to beating Michael 'Venom' Page.”
Gary (18-0) has become a polarizing figure among MMA fans, but he has steadily climbed the welterweight rankings, putting him on the brink of a UFC title shot with wins over Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal and Paige.
Prior to being booked against Paige, Garry had been actively campaigning for a matchup with three-time title challenger Colby Covington, and while he remained open to that bout after UFC 303, he now envisions a new name that few welterweights are daring to put forward.
“Look, I’ll talk to Hunter. [Campbell] Dana [White] We'll see what happens next later. There are big names and it's an interesting matchup,” Garry said. “This Shafqat [Rakhmonov]”I'm 18-0, undefeated. I'd love to face him. I've trained with him. I respect him, but I want to be the first guy to take his '0'. I know I can do it. I just beat the fastest guy in the weight class outside of myself. Striking-wise and skill set-wise, I can do it. Grappling-wise, you've seen my growth. I'm excited to go out there and prove it against someone like him.”
Currently tied with former champion Kamaru Usman for No. 2 in MMA Fighting's welterweight world rankings, Rakhmonov is widely regarded as one of the biggest threats to the UFC's 170-pound title and has won all of his bouts during his professional MMA career, defeating the likes of Stephen Thompson, Neal, Magny, Alex Oliveira and Michel Prazeres.
As fate would have it, it didn't take long for Rakhmonov to respond to Gary's call.
“It seems Ian has forgotten what happened during training,” Rakhmonov wrote. “I wouldn't mind reminding him in the future.”
Ian seems to have forgotten what happened during training. You can remind him from now on. https://t.co/B4a7GesXp4
— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) June 30, 2024
A win over a favorite like Rakhmonov would put Garry on the brink of a title fight he has long craved, and he believes it's now a matter of when, not if, that moment will come.
“I am destined to be one of the greatest players of all time,” Gary said. “I'm going to achieve it by any means necessary. I don't care how it gets there.”
“In 10 years, my name will be in the GOAT conversation. [ask]If someone asks me, “Who is the greatest fighter of all time?” I'd say, “Jon Jones, GSP [Georges St-Pierre]”I'm going to put my name in that conversation. It's based on opinion, so if you're Brazilian you might say Anderson Silva. If you're American you might say Jon Jones. We can all sit here and give our opinion. As long as my name is in that conversation, then I've had a successful career.”
