Conor McGregor resembles Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

LAS VEGAS – Ever since he began to gain international attention, Ian Machado Garry has been compared to Conor McGregor.

Nationality also plays a factor, acknowledged Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who faces Michael Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 303 in a welterweight bout at T-Mobile Arena.

But Garry thinks the similarities are even more striking: his goals, hopes, dreams and mindset are similar to McGregor's from all those years ago.

But Gary doesn't see the point in using the comparison as a weapon, as if there's anything wrong with wanting to emulate the success of the biggest star in the sport's history.

During his pre-fight press conference at the UFC Apex on Wednesday, Gary highlighted his connection to McGregor by pointing to the two former NBA stars.

“If people say I want to be like Conor McGregor or I'm trying to do things to be like Conor, I take that as a compliment,” Gary said. “He's the biggest star in the history of this sport, so if they're comparing me to him, that means I'm doing something right. Now, people are saying I want to be like him. I'm not trying to be like him in any way. Did he inspire me? Absolutely. How many people said Kobe Bryant wanted to be like Michael Jordan? Kobe Bryant went out and created his own legend. Kobe Bryant went out and created a legend in his own way, but he had similar traits and style to Jordan.

“I was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. Connor was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He walks the talk and backs it up. And I'm exactly the same. Connor has done everything he said he would do in his career. I haven't proven what I have done or what I should do. That's my job. My job is to continue doing what I'm doing on my journey to my destiny. My goal is to complete the goals that are set for me, the destiny that is set for me, on my own terms. At the end of the day, people will just say, 'Wow, this kid was special. He did it on his own terms.' That's the only way I look at it.”

Garry has never shied away from the comparisons to McGregor; in fact, he embraces them wholeheartedly. As a fellow Dubliner, Garry would love to face McGregor on the same card, which is the only reason he accepted the fight. Unfortunately, that dream will have to wait as McGregor has withdrawn with injury.

“I was hoping to get the fight at this time anyway,” Gary said. “If there was someone available, I might have waited until August. It's possible. But the opportunity to be on the same card as Conor, whoever it was, was too big an opportunity to pass up or give up. I've been very vocal about it. I have no interest in fighting 'MVP.' Not at all. What I'm interested in is being on the same card as Conor.”

“Right now, I have to say I'm grateful that MVP took the opportunity to take this fight. I'm grateful that he said yes. I'm grateful that he's going to go out there and give it his all. But I'm grateful because it was supposed to be on Conor's card. Now I'm out here to get noticed. I'm out here to show the world how good I am. If Conor wasn't here, there's every reason why I could be the biggest name on this card after this fight is over.”

For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 303 event hub.