The UFC returns to its stomping grounds this week as they bring a card stacked with elite talent to Las Vegas. UFC 285 is headlined by the long-awaited return of Jon Jones as he makes his heavyweight debut taking on former interim champion Ciryl Gane for the vacant belt. The co-main event of the evening sees the current longest-reigning UFC champion, Valentina Shevchenko, take on a surging contender in Alexa Grasso.
One of the most intriguing prospects on the card is the former Cage Warriors champion, Ian Machado Garry. Currently, he competes in the welterweight division of the UFC with an impressive record of 10-0. So we have decided to take a deeper look at the journey he endured to get to the UFC.
Ian Machado Garry Steps Into the Combat World
The Dublin native took his first step into the combat sports world when he picked up boxing at a young age but transitioned into martial arts after being heavily influenced by Conor McGregor’s rise in the sport. At 19 years old, Garry competed in his first amateur MMA fight, and like the majority of his amateur bouts, it ended up with him getting the victory via finish. He concluded his amateur career with a record of 6-1, with his only loss coming from a split decision. What’s even more impressive is that all seven amateur fights took place within the space of a year.
Garry quickly accumulated much attention from Irelands MMA fans after his stunning run in the amateurs. More importantly, it caught the eye of Cage Warriors owner Graham Boylan. Garry picked up his first professional win at Cage Warriors 101 in February 2019 against Irish prospect James Sheehan (who hasn’t lost since). See Boylan’s reaction to the fight below.
The Road to Cage Warriors Gold
After signing with Cage Warriors, Garry, now nicknamed “The Future”, felt like he had the key to the UFC, and all he had to do was keep winning to unlock it.
“Having that Cage Warriors belt… it’s like a golden ticket to the UFC.”
Ian Machado Garry via MMAFighting.com
While under the tutelage of Team KF head coaches Tom King and Chris Field, Garry would consistently put on better performances each time out. My personal favourite of his at Cage Warriors was his finish over former UFC fighter Rostem Akman (see below). He made it to 6-0 before being awarded a shot at welterweight gold against Jack Grant.
Just ten days before his Cage Warriors title fight, Garry would abruptly part ways with his longtime gym, Team KF. Fight preparations were a mess, rumours had been circulating on Twitter throughout fight week on what led to the split. Not only this, but Garry was also nursing a torn ligament throughout his camp.
For the biggest fight of his career, it couldn’t have been a more challenging build-up to the bout. Nonetheless, “The Future” proved to any naysayers that he was UFC calibre with a stellar performance. The 23-year-old at the time had become Cage Warriors champion just two and a half years after turning pro.
From Dublin to Florida
After departing from Team KF in Dublin, the Irish man moved across the pond to South Florida to start training at the world-renowned Sanford MMA. Quite the lifestyle change, but in an interview with Sherdog, the 25-year-old discussed one of the biggest advantages of training at a gym like Sanford MMA compared to back home in Dublin.
“Since I’ve been here (Sanford MMA), training sessions, 1 on 1, whether it be sparring, doing pad work, or doing technical striking. I’ve done it with Gilbert (Burns), Vincente Luque, Kamaru Usman, Logan Storley, and Jason Jackson, just those guys alone, I don’t need to name anyone else. You’re talking about five of the best welterweights on the planet. All different skill sets – none of them are similar, and I get to go with these guys every single day. Every single day I’m learning.”
“That’s the difference right, that’s the biggest difference, I’m surrounded by that elite-level talent, the top five in the game. It’s insane, and that’s the biggest difference for me.”
Ian Machado Garry Signs With the UFC
Garry made his highly anticipated debut at UFC 268 against Jordan Williams. The fight started with Williams finding success with his hands, landing a couple of good 1-2s that bloodied Garry’s nose. Towards the end of the round, Williams overextends himself and “The Future” takes advantage. A McGregor-esque counter right sent Williams to the canvas with less than five seconds left on the clock (see below).
In his octagon interview, Garry would go on to say,
“A wise Irishman once said before me, he stepped in this very cage, and he said, we’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over, and this is the take over part two.”
Since his debut, the Portmarnock man has continued the takeover by picking up two more wins and is yet to not fight on a pay-per-view card. 2022 was a life-changing year for the welterweight, Garry married his longtime partner Layla Anna-Lee at the start of the year and became a father for the first time in October. After a more than deserved eight months away from the octagon, the Irishman is back at UFC 285.
The 25-year-old faces the Tangshan welterweight Song Kenan as he looks to extend his undefeated record to 11-0. Find out where and when you can watch the man in action this weekend by clicking here.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
