"I'll elbow the skull off him" - Ian Garry weighs in on potential clash with undefeated UFC star
Ian Garry has put forth his take regarding a possible fight against a fellow unbeaten MMA star. 'The Future' appeared more than confident about dominantly defeating the rival UFC athlete.
Garry, who boasts a professional MMA record of 13-0, is heralded by many as a bona fide striking savant. The Irish MMA stalwart is 6-0 in the UFC thus far and stands at the No.10 position in the official UFC welterweight rankings.
The aforementioned rival athlete he addressed is the No.11-ranked UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC). A Chechnya-born grappling wizard, the 29-year-old represented Sweden in several of his MMA bouts and later started representing the U.A.E.
Speaking to the mainevent YouTube channel for FOX Sports Australia, Garry recently discussed multiple topics, including Chimaev. When asked whether he thinks he could beat 'Borz', Garry replied:
"What's he gonna do? Take me down. Great. Bring it on. Let's go. Bring it on! Let's go! For sure."
Watch the complete interview below:
In response to the interviewer pointing out that Khamzat Chimaev is a "big dude," Ian Garry said:
"So am I. I'm bigger than he is. I'm 6'3". I'm longer. I'm taller. I'm faster. I'm more vicious on the feet than he is. Great. He has amazing wrestling. He gets tired, though. He gets tired pretty quick, I don't. And the truth is, so what if he takes me down? I'll elbow the skull off him."
Check out Garry's comments below:
Ian Garry has primarily competed in the welterweight division, whereas Khamzat Chimaev has fought at both welterweight and middleweight. They've also partaken in catchweight bouts. Besides, 'Borz' currently competes in the middleweight division.
Garry is scheduled to face Geoff Neal in a highly-anticipated welterweight showdown at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, 2024. Meanwhile, 'Borz' has been lobbying for a UFC middleweight title shot. Chimaev's next opponent and exact comeback date haven't been officially announced yet.
When UFC 298 star Ian Garry almost came to blows with Khamzat Chimaev
In an interview with MMA On Point in December 2022, Ian Machado Garry harked back to the buildup of his then-teammate Gilbert Burns' welterweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 (April 2022). Garry explained that he and his wife, Layla Anna-Lee, were in an elevator with Chimaev and the latter's wife.
'The Future' lightheartedly recalled that Anna-Lee encouraged him to fight Khamzat Chimaev inside the elevator. Garry indicated that he refrained from fighting 'Borz', as it could've hurt the two women. Moreover, the 26-year-old noted that he didn't want to jeopardize his then-teammate's scheduled matchup against 'Borz.' Garry said:
"We got in the elevator and me and my wife are standing there. Press the button doors open, Khamzat and his missus [are there]. I'd love to have a fight here, I'd love to just swing hands with Khamzat in the middle of an elevator. I'd love it. The stories would've been fu**ing cool."
Catch Garry's comments below (5:01-5:17 and 5:23-5:32):