Ian Machado Garry is laying low during UFC 296 fight week.
As all main card fighters traditionally do, attending media day is a requirement on the Wednesday before fight night. Expected to take the stage in front of the media inside the UFC APEX Facility at 11:30 A.M. PST, rising Welterweight contender, Garry, elected not to attend, per sources. No specific reason was given for the Irishman’s absence.
Garry, 26, has been a hot topic of conversation in recent months for a variety of reasons. In mixed martial arts (MMA) related happenings, Garry was banned from Team Renegade in England where he trained alongside current 170-pound champion, Leon Edwards. Things then spilled into Garry’s personal life with his wife, Layla Anna-Lee, whose old satire book, How To Be A WAG, surfaced online. This all came after Garry’s forms of banter with previously booked opponents, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. Set to take on a man he’s trained with in the past, Vicente Luque, at UFC 296, the Brazilian understands his Irish counterpart’s position and decision.
“I believe that if he’s not gonna do it … I’m not really into all of what’s going on, I’ve just heard a little bit about stuff and I did hear that he’s concerned with his family and all that,” Luque said. “If that is the reason, I have his back. I think the biggest thing that we have is our family.
“If he doesn’t come here, he’s also at a loss in a way because it’s media that he’s gonna lose,” he continued. “An opportunity to share his side of the story. So, he is sacrificing something as well.”
Garry and Luque are both coming off of big unanimous decision wins, defeating Magny and Rafael dos Anjos, respectively.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 296 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 296: “Edwards vs. Covington” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.