Ian Garry labels himself "biggest name" Colby Covington could fight next - "There is no bigger paycheck for him to get"
Ian Garry has not been shy about his desire to face Colby Covington. After defeating Geoff Neal at UFC 298 this past weekend, remaining undefeated in the process, 'The Future' reiterated his interest in clashing with 'Chaos'.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the No.10-ranked welterweight labeled himself as the biggest name for the former interim champion, stating:
"I know for a fact I'm the biggest fight he's going to get. He's not going to fight a [Kamaru] Usman. He's not going to fight a Shavkat [Rakhmonov]. He's not going to fight Belal [Muhammad. Because they're all terrible matchups for him."
Garry added that he is a striker and has yet to be tested against an elite American wrestler. He expressed that he would like to face Covington in a main event bout in Ireland or in the co-main event bout of Conor McGregor's return versus Michael Chandler, noting that he will finish 'Chaos' before adding:
"I just know that there is not a bigger matchup for him to take. There is no bigger paycheck for him to get at the moment because I am the biggest name he can compete against. I think that said and done, he's also not in a position where he gets to turn down fights anymore. You take what you're given or you don't fight at all."
Check out Ian Garry's full comments on Colby Covington below:
While Garry continues to angle for the opportunity to face Covington, the No.5-ranked welterweight has yet to respond to the callouts. It remains unclear when he plans to return to the octagon after suffering his third consecutive title bout loss at UFC 296.
Ian Garry reveals that he studied NFL wide receivers in preparation for Geoff Neal bout
Ian Garry was able to defeat Geoff Neal via split decision at UFC 298 this past weekend. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the No.10-ranked welterweight revealed that he studied NFL wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson in preparation for the bout, stating:
"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."
Check out Ian Garry's comments on studying NFL wide receivers ahead of UFC 298 below (1:34):
He added that he utilized a lot of what he learned in his bout with Neal, noting that it was his decision to study NFL wide receivers. While the strategy may not have been thrilling for fans, it helped Garry remain undefeated.