Chute Boxe coach pins high hopes on Ian Garry after training him for UFC 298
Ian Machado Garry has a lot of expectations at UFC 298, and one highly respected coach fully believes in his potential.
Garry, who has developed a reputation for training at multiple gyms across the globe without establishing himself with a single team, In preparation for his fight with Geoff Neal on Feb. 17, 'The Future' has worked primarily in Brazil with Diego Lima and the Chute Boxe team.
Appearing on the MMA Fighting podcast, Trocacāo Franca, Lima said he believes Garry will end 2024 as the UFC welterweight champion.
Lima said:
"After [Garry's fight with Vicente Luque at UFC 296] was canceled, he wasn't even fighting anymore and everybody kept talking about him at the press conference... He wasn't even fighting and people kept talking because this guy sells. He's good. I believe that if all goes right, [the Chute Boxe team] will end 2024 with two belts."
Lima also addressed the controversy surrounding the welterweight's character ahead of his 14th professional fight, calling Garry a "role model" with a "gigantic heart."
Lima continued to say:
"He's a role model of a man, his family is wonderful. He's welcomed us really well. He has a gigantic heart. Ian Garry is a family man and you see the love he has for his wife and son. It's beautiful to see."
In close pursuit of a UFC title shot, Garry faces Neal, the no. 8 ranked contender, on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 298 in Anaheim, California.
UFC 298 purse releases show Ian Garry is lowest paid fighter on PPV main card
With UFC 298 occurring in Anaheim, California, the fighter minimum guaranteed salaries have been released, showing a shockingly low number for Ian Machado Garry.
Unsurprisingly, the report from Manouk Akopyan showed headlining champion Alexander Volkanovski as the highest-paid fighter on the card, with Ilia Topuria as a distant second. The tweet also showed Garry as having nearly half the guaranteed pay as his opponent, Geoff Neal.
While much of the reported salaries were not surprising to fans, the low number next to Garry's name raised eyebrows due to the Irishman's popularity and championship potential.
However, the numbers shown are merely the minimum, and Garry's payment at the end of the night could be a much larger number, depending on his performance.