Ex-lightweight champion comes out with bold prediction, says Ian Garry “has what it takes” to win welterweight gold in UFC
Ian Garry has been heavily criticized in the MMA community for several reasons to become a target of online hate and trolling. However, he has held his own against increasingly stiff competition in the division and a former UFC champion recently expressed his confidence in the Irishman's ability to win a title.
In his most recent outing at UFC 303, Garry defeated Michael 'Venom' Page by unanimous decision to extend his professional MMA record to a perfect 15-0 with eight wins in the UFC.
While fans were not impressed with his grappling-heavy approach in the fight, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos thinks the 26-year-old has the ability to become a champion. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Dos Anjos explained:
"He's young, he's motivated and he's getting... He's got a good style, you know. He's able to mix up the takedowns. He's tall and he's got a good style. He's young. I didn't watch his fight against Michael Page but I've watched his previous fights. He can make it. I think he has what it takes to be a champion. He has that style. He doesn't have much of that knockout power. He's not a finisher. But he's been able to outpoint guys, you know."
Check out Rafael dos Anjos' comments below (11:09):
Dos Anjos's comments about Ian Garry's potential come at a time when questions have been raised about the Irishman's confidence in his abilities. A striker by trade, Garry promised to prove that his style was better than Page's heading into the UFC 303 showdown. However, Page proved to be the better fighter in the stand-up and Garry pulled off the victory with effective grappling.
Gilbert Burns thinks Ian Garry's grappling-heavy approach in the Michael Page fight was an attempt to showcase improvements in his skills
During a recent appearance on Morning Combat, former UFC welterweight title challenger and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ace Gibert Burns shared his thoughts on Ian Garry's highly criticized performance. Burns, who has trained with Garry and even cornered him in the Neil Magny fight, said:
“I think in that fight, he wanted to showcase his improvements. That’s the best fight to show your improvements in the grappling because [Page] doesn't have a lot [to offer in grappling] and he's dangerous in striking. I think it was a very close fight, but I think Ian showed a lot of improvements in his grappling."
Check out Gilbert Burns' comments below (1:42:50):