Just before the end of the UFC 303 pre-fight press conference, Ian Machado Garry hurled an inflammatory accusation at Michael Page promising to ban him from the sport.
It seems highly unlikely, but after an altercation between the two on stage, Garry began lashing out at the former Bellator fighter. At first, Garry was just provoking Page by threatening to reveal cryptic information, but it seemed like the veteran fighter and former BKFC brawler had no idea what Garry was talking about.
“I've pretty much destroyed this guy's confidence already. He knows what I'm talking about. I don't need to tell him what I'm talking about,” Gally yelled. “You know damn well what I'm talking about. Your confidence is shit. You know what I'm talking about.
“It'll become clear. It'll become clear, my boy. But your brain is running around looking for an excuse. Do you want to say it or do I want to say it? Tell the people.”
As Page laughed in his face, Gary fired back, claiming the veteran striker had tried to pay someone in his camp for information ahead of their UFC 303 bout.
There have been dozens of accusations of “spies” infiltrating MMA training camps over the years, but Garry went a step further, suggesting Page was willing to pay for information but got nothing.
“You and your team offered thousands of dollars to get information from my guys at Shoot Box,” Garry said. “You offered thousands of dollars to send a message to someone and then you couldn’t infiltrate the camp? [it]the Shootboxe family is too tight.
“Your shitty jiu jitsu coach gave my Brazilian friend money and you got nothing. Saturday night, you shitty.”
Before finishing his story, Garry suggested that if the information was proven true, Page and his unnamed coach could be banned for life from the sport.
“You and your jiu-jitsu coach are both permanently suspended,” Garry said.
It's a dubious claim at best that anyone could be banned for life from the sport, and when the crowd began chanting “MVP,” Page reacted violently.
“This guy is funny,” Page said. “All I know is that the one and only 'MVP' is in the UFC and I'm going to make some noise.”
As Gary continued speaking on the microphone, Paige responded emphatically.
“Shut up!” Paige yelled.
The welterweight duel got just as heated a few minutes later, with UFC CEO Dana White putting his arm between the two fighters to separate them before things got out of hand.
