Ian Garry details how watching NFL helped him narrowly beat Geoff Neal at UFC 298
Ian Garry was able to defeat Geoff Neal via split decision at UFC 298 this past weekend, remaining undefeated with the victory. The No.10-ranked welterweight recently revealed that he watched NFL wide receivers such as Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson to prepare for the bout.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, 'The Future' stated:
"I got to keep moving and keep on my toes, because the minute he gets planted, he has so much power so that movement had to be constant the entire fight, shifting from left to right, left to right. I was studying a lot of NFL wide receivers, people like Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, and the way they get off the line, and they throw off the corners, purely based on the ability of trying to trick the movement, or trick the eyes into which direction you're going to move and you're going to go."
Garry continued:
"I used that a lot in this fight of, just switching really quickly to make them think I'm going to go right, then go left. And next time I'll change it up a little bit differently, maybe still go left, throw him a lot of feints. That was really important for me, to just keep that consistent, constant movement to unsettle Geoff and make it hard for him to have success."
Check out Ian Garry's comments on studying NFL wide receivers ahead of UFC 298 below (1:34):
Garry noted that it was his decision to study NFL wide receivers in preparation for Neal. While fans were not happy with his strategy and the No.10-ranked welterweight faced criticism, the strategy worked as he remained undefeated.
Ian Garry shares plans to silence Colby Covington
Ian Garry has made it clear that he is hoping to face Colby Covington in his next bout. During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, 'The Future' reiterated that desire, stating:
"I would love that Colby fight. I don't care where it is on the planet - if it's in Dublin, if it's in Vegas, if it's on the moon. I don't mind where it is. I just want to destroy him and rid him from the UFC. I think he's a terrible person, he's fake, he's a persona, he's a character. Yes, he has fans on his side, but that makes it even bigger and to beat someone like him - to do it in Ireland would be a dream come true. I've been shouting from the rafters to make that happen."
Check out Ian Garry's comments on facing Colby Covington below:
Garry added that he remains focused on bringing the UFC back to Ireland. Covington has yet to respond to his various callouts, and it remains unclear when he plans on returning to the octagon.