Ian Garry announced he has signed a new “multi-fight deal” with the UFC at the UFC 285 post-fight presser.
Speaking to the media after his third round TKO victory over Song Kenan, Garry confirmed his new deal, discussed his performance, and shared his hopes to fight at UFC 287 in Miami.
On His Performance Against Song
Garry’s UFC career had been smooth sailing to date. He had moved to 3-0 in the UFC and hadn’t lost a round. That all changed in the first round when Song dropped him with a strong left hand, and had Garry in trouble for the first time in the UFC. He followed with a barrage of punches, which Garry somehow survived.
He responded with the composure of a fighter beyond his years in both age and fight experience. He could have panicked due to being down on the scorecards, but instead he proceeded to pick apart Song with his timing and shot selection, before ending the fight with a brutal sequence.
As Garry progresses through his career, he will undoubtedly have to answer more questions inside the cage but he proved that he has the heart and toughness to go along with the skills:
“I know I have it in me, I know the heart that I have. I know the chin that I have, and he caught me with a beautiful shot. Fair play to him. Congratulations. But you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot more to put me out.”
It’s clear Garry has big goals in mind, as he continued:
If you look at any of the best fighters on the planet, like anyone in that GOAT conversation, who hasn’t fought through adversity? Who hasn’t had that? Jon Jones nearly had his arm snapped. Anderson Silva – we’ve seen him unconscious. Georges St-Pierre, we’ve seen him unconscious. But they come back. Their mindset, their mentality, everything is phenomenal about them, and that’s why they’re the greats. That’s what I have to do. I have to pull stuff out of my ass like that to make sure that I come out and I win.”
Garry’s Layoff and Next Move
After a rapid start to his career, Garry’s fight with Song was his first in eight months. A layoff he intentionally chose, to be present for the birth of his son:
“I had a baby. I’m very blessed to be in the situation that I am. I’m a young man who is at the top of my sport, signed to the best organization in the world for what I want to do. I have the ability to be able to take a paternity leave and be there with my wife for the final trimester of our baby to make sure that I’m there for her 24/7, that she doesn’t have to go through anything on her own, that I’ll be there for her – when my baby was born, that every second of every day I’m there. I don’t want to miss a single moment of him growing. And that was what (my layoff) was about. It’s about special moments that are important, and there’s some things in life that are more important than (fighting), and the birth of my little boy is absolutely one of them.”
It seems that Garry wants an active 2023 following his layoff. He lobbied for another fight in just five weeks time at UFC 287 in Miami:
“I was an idiot and I got caught with a shot that I shouldn’t have got caught with because I made a little error, and that’s OK. We learn, we grow and we get better, and we show up in Miami hopefully in five weeks and we show how fast I can learn and evolve.”
He also used his post-fight time with Joe Rogan to lobby the UFC brass:
Possible Opponents?
With a quick turn around in mind, here are three possible opponents for Garry to fight at UFC 287.
1. Nico Price
Price is a veteran of the fight game and has been in the cage with some of the divisions best. He isn’t top 15 calibre anymore, but he’s as tough as they come and his style would allow Garry to shine if he’s able to perform at his best. He’s a Florida native as well, so it would be enemy territory for Garry which would be another step in his development on the way to a top 15 ranking.
2. Tim Means
Another experienced veteran, Means would be a great step up in competition for Garry. He’s also on a two fight losing streak, and would likely jump at the chance to buck the trend on PPV. At 39 years old, Means’ best is certainly behind him, but his 48 fight experience means he’s never an easy victory.
3. Danny Roberts
Danny Roberts is the UFC’s go to prospect tester. Unfortunately for “Hot Chocolate”, they are usually great prospects. Roberts has taken on Mike Perry, Michel Pereira, and Jack Della Madallena during the early days of their UFC careers. They all earned stoppage victories over Roberts, so it would be a great litmus test to see where Garry’s skillset is.
Who do you think Garry should fight next? Let me know on Twitter @LewisGloverMMA!
Featured image credits to Getty Images and quotes via MMAJunkie.
