"I wanted to be like him" - Ian Garry explains the influence Conor McGregor has had on his career
Irish fighter Ian Garry has fully embraced the constant comparisons to Conor McGregor and all the expectations they bring. Coming into his second UFC fight on April 9 against Darian Weeks, Garry revealed that McGregor was an inspiration to him growing up and a big part of why he's a professional fighter.
During UFC 273 media day interviews, Garry said:
"As a kid, as someone who was sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, boisterous with the boys sitting in school laughing, that was what we enjoyed. The funny clips that he'd say like 'Who the f**k is that guy.' All that, it's always going to be memorable."
Ian Garry loves being mentioned in the same breath as McGregor. He said:
"It's awesome. Even the fact that people say that I'm the next him, or they compare me to him, it's f**king cool. They're comparing to someone who literally is the reason I feel like I'm in the sport, because I wanted to be like him."
Garry fights Weeks in the featured prelim portion of UFC 273 which will be aired on ESPN. It's valuable real-estate and a sign that the UFC thinks 'The Future' may indeed have shades of 'The Notorious' in him.
Watch the full UFC 273 media day interview with Ian Garry below:
Ian Garry doesn't want to be fast-tracked to the top like Khamzat Chimaev
While Ian Garry has big plans in his future, he isn't interested in taking a massive step up in competition like another fighter on the UFC 273 card, Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev is on the verge of a title shot with a win over Gilbert Burns on Saturday night, just two years into his UFC career.
Ian Garry 🤌🏻 https://t.co/xg3Qd2UEI2
Garry wants to take things a bit slower. He said:
"No, I don't want that. Do I want to fight the best guys in the world? Absolutely. Am I going to fight the best guys in the world? One hundred percent. In time. I'm 24 years of age. How old is Khamzat? 28? 28. He's four years older than me. If in four years I fight twice a year, you're talking eight fights, and that sticks me at 16-0, potentially ... And it's just a case of getting better and growing."
Ian Garry put a big emphasis on growing as a fighter. He said:
"After my fight people were saying 'This guy, he's easily beatable, he was getting pieced up.' It's the first thing I said to my coaches, I ran over and said 'Guys we got a lot to learn.' But that's what we go home and do, we work on it. I know, I'm not stupid. I know I'm not perfect yet. Yet. It's going to come."