Ian Machado Garry responds to online criticism ahead of UFC 298 - 'Everyone and their dog is talking about me'
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ByOli Gent
Updated 12/02/2024 at 17:57 GMT
Ian Machado Garry has dismissed any suggestion that recent online criticism he has been getting is affecting his preparation ahead of UFC 298, where he faces Geoff Neal, live on TNT Sports from Anaheim, California. The Irishman is unbeaten in the Octagon so far while his opponent, who he was due to face back in August, is 15-5, and suffered a submission defeat in his last bout at UFC 285.
'I cannot wait to prove everybody wrong!' - Garry opens up on online criticism
Ian Machado Garry says online criticism that he has received ahead of UFC 298, where he faces Geoff Neal, is from a "small minority being bitter and aggressive".
The Irishman, nicknamed 'The Future', is 13-0 in his UFC career, and will enter the Octagon on February 17 against Neal, who is 15-5.
This bout was supposed to take place in August on the UFC 292 card, but Neal was forced to pull out, and was replaced by Neil Magny, .
The fight has since been moved again: initially scheduled for UFC 299 in Miami, the contest was brought forward to February, with president Dana White announcing the calendar change via his X account in December.
The UFC 298 card, which will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, will be headlined by Alex Volkanovski, who faces Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title.
Garry was supposed to be fighting himself at UFC 296 against Vicente Luque, but was forced to withdraw after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
Now the confident, unbeaten Dubliner faces one of the veterans of the welterweight game, with Neal ranked sixth in the division, and Garry sat tenth.
Neal’s last fight ended in a submission defeat to Shavkat Rakhmonov in March of last year, at UFC 285.
Speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, Garry, who has faced plenty of scrutiny on social media in recent weeks, has responded.
“The truth is, I’m getting more love than ever,” Garry said.
“What you’re seeing is a small minority of people online being bitter and aggressive and hurtful. Mainly [they’re] Sean Strickland followers. That’s mainly where it came from.
“The truth is, every country I’ve been in since that point: America, England, Ireland, Brazil… I’m being recognised more. My merch sales have gone up. My followers have gone up. My ambassador deals have gone up. I’m raising the value of everything around me.
“The love I’m getting from people. I haven’t had a single bit of hate in public. I’ve met hundreds of people. The Fight Night in Vegas, in Vegas airport, I had people coming up to me [saying], “I’m here just to see you. We hope you’re all right, we’ve seen the hate. We love you, we’re followers of you. We hope you guys come back and answer this amazing[ly].” I’m like, “You know I will.””
Quite the display of confidence, and Garry spoke of his excitement at what he’s got “coming” in the Octagon in his next fights.
“In Brazil I’m being recognised way more than I ever have been. In England and Ireland, I can’t walk down a road without being seen and noticed, and I didn’t even fight. Everybody’s talking about me, and the value of me is just rising, rising, rising.
“Everyone and their dog is talking about me. I haven’t fought yet; I haven’t done the things I’m saying. I’m number ten in the world. I haven’t gone in and done everything I want to do.
“It’s coming, it’s coming. I cannot wait to prove everybody wrong with all this negativity and all this bull****. But I’m just enjoying the positive energy that I’m getting from everyone that I meet in public, and the team around me.”
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