Tag: Ian Garry

Belal Muhammad Told To Hand Out ‘A Couple Of 10-7s’ To Ian Garry On Social Media: ‘But Keep The Wife Out Of It…’

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently offered insightful counsel to Belal Muhammad, urging him to elevate his mic game and suggesting that sharpening his verbal skills could be the key to skyrocketing his popularity. “Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Told To Hand Out ‘A Couple Of 10-7s’ To Ian Garry On Social Media: ‘But Keep The Wife Out Of It…’ at MMA News.

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently offered insightful counsel to Belal Muhammad, urging him to elevate his mic game and suggesting that sharpening his verbal skills could be the key to skyrocketing his popularity.

“Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester. This showdown marked their second clash, following their initial encounter in March 2021, which ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye-poke prevented Muhammad from continuing beyond the second round.

Although Muhammad has consistently showcased his prowess in the Octagon, evidenced by his impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak, he seems to lack the gift of gab—a skill many UFC fighters masterfully wield to sell fights and win the hearts of fans.

However, the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion appears to have shifted his approach in recent times, as evident on his X account, where he’s been unleashing unrelenting jabs at his naysayers. For the past few days, he’s been locked in a heated war of words with former long-reigning champion Kamaru Usman.

Muhammad’s revamped strategy has certainly caught the attention of Thomson and McCarthy, who view it positively but believe he can still fine-tune his verbal game even further…

Thomson & McCarthy Believe Muhammad’s Edwards Victory Was Two-in-One Success

In a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with McCarthy, Thomson delved into Muhammad’s rising popularity following his victory over Edwards. The former UFC lightweight champion remarked that “Remember the Name” has undeniably silenced his critics with this win, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.

“I think overall he’s doing a great job because if you look, the one knock—not one, there were two knocks on him—interviews were cringe, okay? Like, ‘oh, it’s just too much; he’s forcing it too much, and he’s a boring fighter,’” Thomson said. “I’m sorry, he stood toe-to-toe with Leon, had some great wrestling, had some good standup—he fought a great, well-rounded fight. He’s a true MMA fighter, and he’s proving that now. Put him on the mic, maybe just take away the mic then if you don’t like what he has to say, but man, he’s lighting up Twitter right now.”

“The Punk’ also noted how Muhammad is now playfully clapping back at his trolls on social media, adding a new dimension to his public persona.

“He’s crushing X, and I love it. I love that he’s smashing dudes, I love that he’s handing out L’s, I love that he’s dishing out 10-8 rounds. I want to see a couple of 10-7s to Ian Garry, though. I’d like to see that—if he can hand a 10-7 to Ian Garry, I’d like to see it because that’s another guy who’s very cringe. They’ve got to take the mic away from that guy.”

McCarthy nodded in agreement with Thomson’s remarks and playfully suggested that if Muhammad ever engages in a war of words with Garry, he should steer clear of bringing up his spouse in the trash talk.

“Okay, I’m all for him handing out a 10-7 to Garry, but keep the wife out of it.”

Since his victory, Muhammad has welcomed the prospect of facing Shavkat Rakhmonov for his first title defense, while simultaneously sparring with Usman in a heated social media back-and-forth.

However, with “The Nigerian Nightmare” reeling from three consecutive losses, a title shot seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Garry, who remains undefeated and vocal about his ambitions for a title fight, could soon find himself in the welterweight title mix.

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Told To Hand Out ‘A Couple Of 10-7s’ To Ian Garry On Social Media: ‘But Keep The Wife Out Of It…’ at MMA News.

Classy Neil Magny ‘Tips Hat’ To Ian Garry’s UFC 303 Performance: ‘If You Go Out There & Try To Do A Little Bit Too Much Against MVP…’

Ian Machado Garry maintained his undefeated record at UFC 303 where he handed Michael “Venom” Page his first loss inside the Octagon. The two dynamic welterweight strikers went the full three rounds in the main card opener where Garry’s takedowns and ground control proved to be the difference. He received some criticism from fans for […]

Continue Reading Classy Neil Magny ‘Tips Hat’ To Ian Garry’s UFC 303 Performance: ‘If You Go Out There & Try To Do A Little Bit Too Much Against MVP…’ at MMA News.

Ian Machado Garry maintained his undefeated record at UFC 303 where he handed Michael “Venom” Page his first loss inside the Octagon.

The two dynamic welterweight strikers went the full three rounds in the main card opener where Garry’s takedowns and ground control proved to be the difference.

He received some criticism from fans for this performance after not backing up some of his words about how the striking battle would play out.

Garry’s been known to ruffle some feathers during his UFC tenure, not least during the build up to his fight with the veteran 170-pound competitor Neil Magny.

The two men met at UFC 292 last year where the rising contender said some things about Magny that didn’t really resonate with a lot of the fans.

Despite their previous tensions, there is no bad blood towards the Irishman at least from Magny’s point of view as has been clear in the past.

Neal Magny Praises Ian Garry For His ‘Smart’ & ‘Patient’ Performance At UFC 303

During a recent interview with James Lynch for InsideFighting, Magny spoke about his former opponent’s last outing.

The welterweight staple is set to return on August 24 where he looks to make it back-to-back wins since his loss to Garry when facing Michael Morales.

He believes, like many, that the clash between Garry and Page came right down to the wire where it was eventually decided by the slimmest of margins.

“Yeah I watched it, it’s one of those fighters where it’s a tough call. When you have so much time to prepare for a fight, every move you make has to be very calculated where had one guy or the other slipped up one way or the other like had MVP [been] able to stuff one takedown, it would change the outcome of the fight. Had Ian Garry missed one takedown it could change the outcome of the fight, had MVP landed one more significant strike it could change the outcome of the fight so it was just one of those fights that was close going into it and anything can literally happen.

“That fight literally came down to who made the least amount of mistakes. I mean even some of the takedowns that Ian Garry was able to score on MPV, it didn’t really come from like, ‘Oh I’m going to set up a shot with my strikes and feint and get in this way.’ It was off a caught kick or something like that and he took full advantage of it.”

Where some fans criticized Garry for relying on his grappling skills to make the fight a more gruelling affair, Magny credited him for this.

He spoke about how when you’re up against an opponent like Page, doing anything other than keeping it simple can result in a rough awakening.

“It was a very close fight I was definitely impressed with the grappling display that Ian Garry was able to pull out of that fight. I definitely tip my hat to the performance that Ian Garry. It was one of those fights that is very difficult to prepare for because if you go out there and try to do a little bit too much against MVP, you end up waking up looking at the ceiling so he fought a very smart fight, a very patient fight and was able to get it done.”

Read also: Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’ 

Continue Reading Classy Neil Magny ‘Tips Hat’ To Ian Garry’s UFC 303 Performance: ‘If You Go Out There & Try To Do A Little Bit Too Much Against MVP…’ at MMA News.

Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’ 

While he admits the submission hold was deep, Michael “Venom” Page says he was never concerned about getting choked out by Ian Garry at UFC 303. Page made the walk inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at last month’s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon after swapping Bellator for the […]

Continue Reading Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’  at MMA News.

While he admits the submission hold was deep, Michael “Venom” Page says he was never concerned about getting choked out by Ian Garry at UFC 303.

Page made the walk inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at last month’s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon after swapping Bellator for the UFC in late 2023.

While “MVP” immediately burst into the rankings on debut by getting the better of Kevin Holland in Miami this past March, he was unable to climb further toward his targeted all-English title fight with Leon Edwards on June 29.

Instead, Garry cemented his top 10 spot by narrowly getting the better of the Londoner on the scorecards in the UFC 303 main card opener. The Irishman utilized his grappling to enjoy large periods of control in rounds one and three.

For the most part, Page didn’t appear in danger of getting finished throughout the close fight. He did, however, find himself in a worrying spot during the first grappling exchange, as “The Future” attempted a rear-naked choke.

But although many were surprised to see “MVP” escape the hold, the man himself was less shocked…

Page: Not Getting Choked Out Is One Of My Jiu-Jitsu ‘Superpowers’

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on his first UFC setback and failed attempt to blemish the perfect professional record of Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion.

The Brit was specifically asked about the compromising position he found himself in on the ground shortly into the opening round, having no doubt drew out cries of ‘he’s going to tap’ from some fans watching at home.

Page is yet to be submitted in 25 pro fights, and he says that’s for good reason.

“I’m very difficult to choke. In jiu-jitsu, that seems to be one of my superpowers. It’s always hard for people to finish chokes on me,” Page said. “When I got into that position…that was way closer than (against Holland). When I say closer, yeah, it was deep, but there was no way I was tapping and I wasn’t going to sleep either.

“Not to give away anything, but like I said, I am very difficult to choke,” Page continued. “Even in the gym, there’s guys that get me really deep and they’re like, ‘What the f…?!’ Their arms burn out before I tap. So luckily, I’m stubborn in that area. But it was a deep choke (at UFC 303).”

Whether Page will need to prove that once again opposite one of the welterweight division’s top grapplers next time out or will instead be matched against a fellow striker remains to be seen.

But either way, “MVP” has touted his extra motivation since the defeat in Las Vegas and vowed to bounce back as his pursuit of gold continues.

Continue Reading Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’  at MMA News.

Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’ 

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division. The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing […]

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division.

The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing his grappling to edge frames one and three on the scorecards.

The result marked the latest addition to Garry’s undefeated professional record and moved his UFC slate to 8-0, cementing his top 10 spot in the process.

While “The Future” has confidently expressed that he’ll now move on to focusing on those above him in the pecking order and the title, “MVP” is confident he’ll soon have his résumé blemished…

Page Didn’t Feel A Future Champion Against Garry At UFC 303

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on the defeat he suffered in what marked just his second fight competing on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage following a decade in Bellator.

The Londoner expressed frustration with his performance inside T-Mobile Arena, suggesting the result was more down to his own shortcomings than Garry’s efforts inside the Octagon.

With that in mind, Page didn’t feel like he was squaring off against a sure-fire future champion. Far from it, in fact. “Venom” recalled facing someone who would get “killed” by UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards and top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“Not all. No,” Page said when asked if he sees Garry as a future champion. “Because if that’s the game you’re going to (use) when you get a decent striker, then Leon is going to kill you anyway, then Shavkat is going to kill you anyway. There’s a few guys in there that I just don’t see him surpassing. … Even in some of the areas, he didn’t feel massively strong. I’m not even trying to be disrespectful to him, because again, he’s done his job, he was smart about how he kind of went by it. But for me, regardless, this game for me is about combat. It’s about fighting. Not about stealing wins.

“Even like I said, that last round, I didn’t necessarily need to stand up or need to let him stand up. I could’ve stayed there and just dragged it out and potentially got a better score in the third round and maybe that would’ve swayed it, but that’s not the game I’m in. I’m in a combat game. Like, I want to cause damage, I want to hurt people,” Page continued. “So yeah, I don’t see him progressing to the top. I think he’s talented. I think he’ll always be around there, top 10, top five, and then he’ll keep losing out to certain people. But he is still talented, and obviously he’s got a loads of time to progress and get better anyway.”

Garry no doubt feels differently, having frequently insisted that a title crowning on MMA’s biggest stage is inevitable. He’ll look to prove that when he returns to action, potentially against one of the names mentioned by Page.

Post-UFC 303, the Irishman had the name of Rakhmonov on his lips. While he got a positive response from “Nomad,” it remains to be seen if the UFC will share the same outlook and pair them together next.

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’ 

Not everyone was impressed by Ian Garry’s performance at UFC 303, but given what he sees in Michael “Venom” Page’s style, a fellow Irish fighter seemingly was. Garry cemented his spot in the welterweight top 10 late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view in Las Vegas, opening the main card opposite “MVP.” The […]

Continue Reading Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’  at MMA News.

Not everyone was impressed by Ian Garry’s performance at UFC 303, but given what he sees in Michael “Venom” Page’s style, a fellow Irish fighter seemingly was.

Garry cemented his spot in the welterweight top 10 late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view in Las Vegas, opening the main card opposite “MVP.”

The Irishman was vocal in the lead-up about his lack of interest when it came to sharing the cage with the lower-ranked Englishman, insisting he only accepted the matchup to get on the undercard of what was originally planned to be Conor McGregor’s comeback.

“The Notorious” ultimately pulled out and didn’t make the walk on June 29. Garry did, however, and had his hand raised in a close decision against Page, who was making just his second UFC appearance following a successful debut in March.

Having gone to the scorecards in his fights against Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, the Dubliner’s run of decisions and the competitive nature of his clash with “Venom” have left some critical of “The Future” and dismissing his chances of competing against the elite of the division.

One of Garry’s fellow countrymen, however, has suggested that such a narrative does a disservice to the challenge “MVP” presents inside the cage…

Loughran Says Criticism Of Garry’s UFC 303 Performance Is Unfair

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, UFC bantamweight prospect Caolan Loughran gave his take on a number of notable prospects, stars, and champions currently competing on MMA’s biggest stage.

When it came to Garry, the former Cage Warriors champion admitted that he hadn’t been a fan of his compatriot’s approach to fight buildups in the past.

But after noting an improvement when it came to his remarks ahead of UFC 303, Loughran pushed back on negative takes regarding Garry’s victory over Page on fight night.

“I haven’t met Ian since he was an amateur. I haven’t seen him since the regional scene. I haven’t seen him in years,” Loughran said. “I was actually liking the way he was talking (ahead of UFC 303). And he’s winning fights in the UFC.

“He’s getting a lot of stick for his performance against ‘MVP.’ F*ck fighting ‘MVP.’ He’s a nightmare!” Loughran continued. “Until you have him in front of you, you haven’t sparred or trained with someone like him. Now, when you put him on his back, he’s crap. But it’s just getting him on his back is a nightmare.”

Having maintained his perfect UFC and professional record at the expense of “MVP” at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, Garry is now setting his sights on those above him in the welterweight pecking order.

In addition to offering to serve as backup fighter for this month’s UFC 304 main event between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad, the Dubliner has set his sights on Shavkat Rakhmonov as a potential next opponent.

Continue Reading Ian Garry Gets Support From Fellow Irish UFC Fighter After Criticism Of Michael Page Win: ‘F*ck Fighting MVP, He’s A Nightmare!’  at MMA News.

Ian Garry Doesn’t Expect Kamaru Usman To Be An Option Post-UFC 303: ‘I Believe He’s Going To Run Scared’

Rising UFC welterweight Ian Garry has his sights set on those above him for his next fight, but he doesn’t see one former champion as a likely candidate. Garry extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 last weekend at UFC 303, where he recorded his eighth triumph on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage since signing […]

Continue Reading Ian Garry Doesn’t Expect Kamaru Usman To Be An Option Post-UFC 303: ‘I Believe He’s Going To Run Scared’ at MMA News.

Rising UFC welterweight Ian Garry has his sights set on those above him for his next fight, but he doesn’t see one former champion as a likely candidate.

Garry extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 last weekend at UFC 303, where he recorded his eighth triumph on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage since signing in 2021.

After climbing the ranks with victories over Neil Magny at UFC 292 last August and Geoff Neal this past February at UFC 298, the former Cage Warriors champion was forced to turn his gaze to a figure below him in the pecking order to secure an outing during International Fight Week.

The Irishman opened the June 29 pay-per-view main card against Michael “Venom” Page, a former Bellator standout who debuted successfully at UFC 299 earlier this year.

Despite some backing “MVP’s” unique striking to be the difference, Garry edged the Londoner out for a decision win inside the T-Mobile Arena. While the result hasn’t seen the Dubliner climb the ranks, it should see him matched against a top contender next time out.

When it comes to who, though, “The Future” doesn’t see the former champ sitting inside the top five as an option…

Garry Predicts Usman Won’t Want To Fight ‘Someone So Young & Dangerous’

During a post-fight interview with TNT Sports’ Caroline Pearce in Las Vegas, Garry looked ahead to what could await him upon his return to the cage following UFC 303.

The Irishman has been vocal in calling out fellow undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov since his win over Page. And Garry explained that preference by suggesting both Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman will likely “run.”

“Colby’s never taking the fight. He’s running scared. … After (UFC 303), he’s like, ‘Yeah, f*ck that, see you later.’ He’s jumping on someone’s rented yacht, acting like it’s his,” Garry said. “Look, there’s Usman, one of the greatest champions we’ve ever seen. I believe he’s gonna run scared and he’s not gonna f*cking make the call either. He doesn’t want to fight someone so young and dangerous.

“I just have to see how the rest of the division plays out now,” Garry continued. “I’m in the driving seat. There’s only a couple of people I can fight that are gonna be above me.”

Garry and Usman briefly trained under the same roof, with the Dubliner spending time at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, where “The Nigerian Nightmare” splits his time with Trevor Wittman’s facility.

The former champ hasn’t directly addressed a potential fight with Garry in the aftermath of UFC 303. He did, however, assess how far “The Future” is from the title, noting he could be two fights away given the names that still sit above him in the rankings.

Continue Reading Ian Garry Doesn’t Expect Kamaru Usman To Be An Option Post-UFC 303: ‘I Believe He’s Going To Run Scared’ at MMA News.