Athletes
Ian Machado Garry: ‘I Fight For Me’
UFC Welterweight Ian Machado Garry Wants To Show Song Kenan That He Made A Mistake Signing The Contract To Fight Him At UFC 285: Jones vs Gane
All three of Ian Machado Garry’s UFC fights have come on big PPV event showcases. That’s come by design, as the 25-year-old welterweight has done a phenomenal job putting himself in the position to elevate his name value as he climbs the rankings.
Fighting on the same cards as UFC superstars and champions motivates Machado Garry to bring his A-game on fight night. He envisions himself on the poster and as the marquee fighter on the card. Until that day comes, he’s aiming to steal the show, and he enters the Octagon aiming to deliver the most prolific performance of the night.
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Machado Garry knows that’s going to be a tough task with the amount of talent that will be on display at UFC 285: Jones vs Gane, but he’s more than up for the challenge.
“Bigger events mean a bigger profile for me to put on a show,” Machado Garry told UFC.com. “There are going to be a lot of people looking at Jon Jones, so I want to make sure I put on a statement this week.”
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane not only marks the return of the former UFC light heavyweight champion Jones, but the event will feature him fighting for the heavyweight title in his divisional debut. That’s going to draw plenty of eyeballs and give Machado Garry another chance to shine.
UFC 285 Fight By Fight Breakdown
At 10-0, Machado Garry is one of the brightest prospects in the welterweight division. His three UFC wins came in dominant fashion, and he’s excited for a step-up in competition when he faces Song Kenan.
Song hasn’t competed in the Octagon in almost two years, but Machado Garry isn’t underestimating his opponent.
Ian Machado Garry Fight Week Interview | UFC 285
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Ian Machado Garry Fight Week Interview | UFC 285
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“The unknown is dangerous. When you’ve had a fighter who has had a two-year layoff and there’s no footage or understanding of what he’s been working on, the unknown is dangerous. So, you have to prepare for the absolute best,” Machado Garry said. “I’m not overlooking him. I believe I’m far superior than him in every single which-way but I have to be ready for him to come out and be a machine. That’s why I look forward to it. I want him at his best and I’m going to finish him at his best, so he knows that all that training, all that preparation meant f*** all when he stands in that Octagon with me.
“His last fight he was sleeping facedown, and this fight he’ll still be staring at the ceiling.”
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Outside of his dynamic skill set, Machado Garry’s confidence might just be his best attribute. It isn’t modeled after his countryman Conor McGregor, but Machado Garry was inspired to pursue mixed martial arts at its highest level due to what he witnessed “The Notorious” one accomplish.
Seeing someone from Ireland become the face of the fight game showed Machado Garry that as long as he wholeheartedly believed he could achieve it, he would.
“Confidence is key and anything that I do you have to be 100% confident, and if you’re not 100% confident then you’re not going to perform the way you want to. I’m always confident in my abilities; I have that brash confidence that’s borderline arrogant, but I just go out there and do what I love and have fun. That’s what my key to success is,” Machado Garry said. “Also, a f*** ton of hardwork. I work my a** off to be where I am. You have to be mentally strong to be able to focus and perform.”
One of the sources of that confidence comes from Machado Garry’s passion for the game. He loves fighting, that’s what makes him whole. There isn’t a need for him to find external motivators such as performing for his fans or to leave a legacy for his recently-born son.
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Ian Machado Garry fights for Ian Machado Garry – and nothing will change that.
“It’s never going to change me as an athlete. I don’t fight for my wife, I don’t fight for my child, I don’t fight for my fans, I don’t fight for my family; I fight for me,” Machado Garry said. “I fight because getting in the Octagon is my favorite thing to do.”
“When someone signs a contract to fight me, they are saying to themselves that they can beat me. My biggest point is to prove that person across the Octagon from me wrong and to make sure that they know they made a mistake when they signed that contract.”
Machado Garry will admit that having a growing family does make him want to be a little more aggressive and get the finish without taking damage. Getting home “handsome” and “safe” are priorities, but considering the fact he’s looking to get out of the Octagon faster and back to his finishing ways, he’s determined to make his fight with Song as violent as possible.
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And he believes there’s a simple formula to make that happen in T-Mobile Arena this weekend.
“Being more violent and more aggressive,” Machado Garry said. “When I go, I go with venom. I make sure every punch I throw is a punch that can finish you. Aggressive, fast, and beautiful.”
It’s evident that Machado Garry feels like he’s going to be talk of the town in the aftermath of UFC 285.
And he can’t wait to hear the chatter.
“I just need to show up. Every single time I’ve fought, everyone has been talking about me after the fight,” Machado Garry said. “Even when I didn’t get the finishes, people were talking about how good I looked.
“This time I’m going to give them more to talk about.”
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 4, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
