When Ian Garry's alleged troubling behavior under Layla Anna-Lee led to a fallout with the former gym Team KF Martial Arts
Ian Garry's alleged troubling behavior under his partner and manager, Layla Anna-Lee, reportedly led to his split from his former gym, Team KF Martial Arts.
For years, Garry had trained at the Team KF Martial Arts fight camp in Swords, Dublin, Ireland. However, before his Cage Warriors welterweight title fight against Jack Grant in June 2021, Garry split from the gym.
He went into the matchup without his coaches from Team KF Martial Arts. Instead, the Ian Garry team and corner comprised his partner and manager, Layla Anna-Lee, and Cage Warriors featherweight fighter Paul Hughes. Garry won the Cage Warriors welterweight championship by beating Grant via unanimous decision.
As reported by FightBook MMA, Garry released a statement addressing his departure from Team KF Martial Arts and suggested that the gym simply stopped supporting him 10 days away from his title fight.
Additionally, Team KF Martial Arts also released a statement after the Cage Warriors event and touched upon the Ian Garry gym fallout. They indicated that Garry hadn't adhered to the team's ethics and values, which prioritize loyalty, honor, and respect.
They alleged that Garry started expecting "special privileges" and became uncoachable under his new manager, Layla Anna-Lee. An excerpt from the statement read as follows:
"Ian Garry was informed he was no longer a member of the club, after repeated warnings regarding his behaviour to other teammates and his coaches, that had become distinct since employment of a new manager in March. After this appointment he become uncoachable."
It continues:
"This was not a decision that was taken lightly as considerable time and resources were dedicated to Ian’s training, at a cost to the club, since he made his amateur debut a dozen fights ago, up until he attained his world title fight under the tutelage of his coaches, with the support of his teammates."
Ian Garry and Layla Anna-Lee battle criticism with UFC 296 on the horizon
The undefeated Ian Machado Garry is booked to fight his former Kill Cliff FC training partner and fellow top 10-ranked welterweight contender Vicente Luque at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023. Leading up to UFC 296, Garry stopped training at the Kill Cliff FC gym in Florida, USA, and shifted base to the Chute Boxe gym in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Besides, the Irishman also used to train at UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards' home gym, Team Renegade, in Birmingham, UK. Earlier this year, Garry had a falling out with Team Renegade, too.
Apart from disputes with multiple fight camps in regard to his professional MMA career over the years, this year, in particular, has witnessed Ian Garry get flak for his personal life as well. He and his wife, UK sports presenter Layla Anna-Lee, have faced condemnation as of late, owing to her 2010 book 'How to be a Wag'.
Nevertheless, they've both issued statements in their defense and seemingly remained steadfast in their battle against the hostility heading into Garry's pivotal UFC 296 fight.