Ian Machado Garry is simply days away from his return at UFC 303 and he’s nonetheless not all that intrigued by his upcoming struggle in opposition to Michael “Venom” Web page.
After campaigning for weeks to land a struggle in opposition to three-time UFC title challenger Colby Covington on June 29, the matchup by no means truly got here collectively. As a substitute, Garry was supplied a showdown in opposition to Web page, the longtime Bellator standout who gained his UFC debut in opposition to Kevin Holland this previous March.
Whereas Web page has loads of credentials exterior of the UFC, Garry hoped he would get the next ranked opponent that will put him on the cusp of title competition.
“I’m nonetheless not desirous about it,” Garry stated in regards to the struggle with Web page on The MMA Hour. “I’ve little interest in it. I’ve informed you. Right here’s the best way I take a look at it: I’m undefeated, I’ve overwhelmed all people put in entrance of me in one of the simplest ways I consider I can and I am going on the market and I get my hand raised any method, form and type doable. That’s my job. Once I try this, I struggle up as a result of my aim is to be the world champion.
“I’m wanting on the guys above me. There’s six or seven guys forward of me. There’s Gilbert [Burns], there’s Shavkat [Rakhmonov], there’s Jack Della Maddalena, there’s Colby [Covington], there’s [Kamaru] Usman, Belal [Muhammad] and Leon [Edwards]. All I’ve performed in my profession is win. I need to struggle a type of guys. I’ve to struggle a type of guys as a result of that’s my projection. I’m on a projection to be one of many world champions. I’m on a projection to be one of many greatest stars the game’s ever seen. I’ve little interest in preventing under me. I’ve already fought [No.] 15 on the planet, 10 on the planet, 8 on the planet, why on Earth would I wish to struggle No. 13? I nonetheless have little interest in preventing Michael. I’ve little interest in preventing him.”
Admitting his lack of pleasure over the upcoming struggle would possibly appear to be Garry is setting himself up for catastrophe as a result of Web page has extra total expertise and he’s earned his status as a deadly striker.
As a lot as he will not be hyping up his UFC 303 opponent, Garry guarantees he’s left nothing to likelihood in his preparation and he plans to execute his recreation plan come Saturday evening.
“Once I say it to you, I form of wish to realign my focus and every little thing like that,” Garry defined. “The shift of energies for me and the shift of focus is once I get that belt wrapped round my waist, I’m going to be preventing whoever the folks consider is the subsequent finest man worthy of that title shot. Whether or not he’s [ranked No.] 1, whether or not he’s 2, whether or not he’s 6, whether or not he’s 9 on the planet and I wish to placed on them exhibits.
“So that is the primary time I’m moving into an octagon with that championship mentality of ‘I’m higher than you, I’m going to show it’ and that’s all my job is, is to go on the market and show that there’s a purpose you’re ranked under me. There’s a purpose I’m ranked greater than you and now it’s to go on the market and fully outclass ‘MVP’ in any method, form and type essential to get my hand raised.”
Garry’s evaluation about Web page isn’t all that completely different from most of the fighters who known as him out when he was nonetheless competing in Bellator. The narrative constructed across the British born-striker is that he was protected against going through extra elite competitors and allowed to pad his file with highlight-reel victories over opponents who most likely shouldn’t have been within the cage with him.
When it got here time for Web page to face stiffer opponents, he suffered a brutal knockout to Douglas Lima in 2019 (later avenging that loss through a slender choice in 2021), fell in a lackluster choice loss to Logan Storley after which gained on the scorecareds in different fights together with his UFC debut in opposition to Holland.
“MVP was used and utilized in a really good method by Bellator,” Garry stated. “We perceive this child’s proficient. We perceive this child can speak and he can promote fights. They gave him a very simple run of opponents to go on the market and construct his model and construct his promotion, He was knocking out folks he ought to have knocked out. He was beating folks he ought to have overwhelmed.
“However whenever you take a look at him in opposition to Paul Daley, whenever you take a look at him in opposition to former Cage Warriors champion Ross Houston, whenever you take a look at him in opposition to Logan Storley, a three-time NCAA champion, whenever you take a look at him twice in opposition to Douglas Lima and Kevin Holland, certain he’s regarded nice as a result of he’s a fantastic fighter and he has a fantastic particular expertise, which is that point-kickboxing karate type that’s awkward and worsening. However he’s not been in a position to end these guys or dominate them in the best way that he ought to.”
Garry guarantees that he’s going to offer Web page a impolite awakening come Saturday evening, reminding him there are ranges to this recreation and he’s now not going through bums simply ready to get knocked out.
“Now he’s right here,” Garry stated about Web page. “Now he’s preventing somebody 11 years youthful than him. Somebody who’s much more proficient in each aspect of the sport than he ever wished he might be. It’s my job to go on the market and present there’s a purpose I’m this extremely ranked. There’s a purpose why everybody talks about me from earlier than my Cage Warriors debut. There’s a purpose why folks in MMA knew who I used to be. It’s due to the expertise and the onerous work that I’ve.
“Saturday evening, June 29, I’m going to go on the market and show to the world in opposition to the most important opponent that I’ve fought, the most important identify that I’ve fought on the most important card I’ve ever fought on.”
