SÃO PAULO — Ian Machado Garry is having fun with life in São Paulo after scoring his seventh straight octagon victory, a unanimous resolution over Geoff Neal at UFC 298.
However make no mistake about it: “The Future” has a goal in thoughts, and that’s Colby Covington.
Garry went to Tiro Certo Golfe studio in São Paulo to play — or extra precisely, educate — indoor golf with MMA Preventing’s Guilherme Cruz and chat about his subsequent UFC transfer. Garry hopes to land a date with Covington at UFC 303, which is about for June 29 in Las Vegas.
“Look, if Colby needs to combat in his again backyard tomorrow, I’ll fly to Miami and combat him in his again backyard,” Garry stated. “I don’t care when it’s. I simply need him because the opponent. I would like him to be a person and step into the octagon and face his fears. Face the person who he’s talked a variety of s*** about, and watch what occurs once you get in there. God might be good. He’ll give me Colby Covington every time, wherever I would like him, and he’ll say, ‘Ian, have enjoyable.’”
Covington most lately got here up quick towards welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in December 2023 in his third unsuccessful shot on the undisputed title. It was Covington’s first bout since defeating Jorge Masvidal through resolution in March 2022.
“I need to combat him due to the next he has, the respect on his title as one of many higher fighters on this division and has been for a very long time,” Garry stated. “I need to combat him due to all of the s*** that he has talked about me and my household, and I’m going to guarantee that he regrets each phrase he’s stated. However I additionally know that even when it was the very best Colby Covington we ever seen, he would by no means stand an opportunity towards me. Irrespective of how good Colby Covington ever might be or can be, he would by no means be capable to beat me. I’m too elite. I’m too quick. I’m too technically good. He simply doesn’t stand an opportunity.
“I don’t assume the man deserves any respect on the planet, to be sincere with you. The s*** he talks … I’ll step into that octagon, and I’ll retire him. That’s my objective. My entire objective to after I combat Colby Covington is that he by no means places on MMA gloves ever once more.”
The Irish expertise would like to combat in Brazil and believes that may at some point occur, particularly now that he trains at Chute Boxe in São Paulo.
However asking Covington to face him in Brazil would probably lead solely to frustration.
“I don’t assume Colby Covington needs to come back again to Rio after all of the s*** he stated final time he was in Brazil versus Demian [Maia],” stated Garry, referring to when Covington beat Demian Maia in São Paulo after which bashed the nation in his post-win speech. “I believe he’ll keep away. I believe he’d find yourself lifeless. That’s the reality, I believe he’d find yourself lifeless. I believe there’s no method that occurs, as a result of Colby is an excessive amount of of a b****. However I’ll combat in Brazil at some point, and I might be so blissful to placed on the yellow shorts and be the principle occasion in Brazil, and I’ll carry the Irish flag on one shoulder and the Brazilian flag on the opposite.”
It’s nonetheless unclear if the UFC plans to guide Garry vs. Covington within the close to time period. However the undefeated Irish nonetheless issued a ultimate warning to the previous interim champion.
“You don’t need to be right here,” Garry stated. “You don’t need to be on the high of the division anymore. I’m going tot retire you. All of Brazil goes to have a smile on their face after I knock you unconscious and depart you in a puddle of your personal blood, face down on the canvas. Colby, you’re carried out. Fala tchau. [Say bye.]”
