Just this evening, news broke that Ian Machado-Garry will be taking on Daniel Rodriguez in a welterweight bout on May 13th.
Garry said after his last win in March over Son Kenan that he wants a quick turnaround. Rodriguez was scheduled to fight Gunnar Nelson in London last week at UFC 286 but had to pull out. Bryan Barberena came in as a late replacement against Nelson in London.
After pulling out, he’s now having a tough turnaround fight against Garry. Hopefully, I will be in front of a big crowd. Garry shouldn’t be locked away behind the doors at the Apex, regardless of how cost-effective it is to host events there. Hopefully, the main event is worthy of an arena.
What Does This Mean for Ian Garry?
As some of the more hardcore fans of the sport will know, Garry has made a meteoric rise through the UFC. The Irish man has very similar roots to Conor McGregor and has made it very clear that he’s the next man to fly the flag for Ireland. 11-0 in his professional career, this fight against Rodriguez is certainly his biggest test yet. Admittedly Garry’s striking is on par if not better than Rodriguez’s, so he’d most likely be the favorite but didn’t count out the crafty veteran.
Can Rodriguez Stop the Hype Train?
During his career, Rodriguez has beaten Kevin Lee, Li Jingliang, and Mike Perry. For Rodriguez to Garry to beat would be astronomically important, for his popularity would certainly put him in the top 15. Rodiguez is a very competent striker and is more than competent on the feet as he’s been about to beat Jingliang, which few have achieved.
Keep an eye on this bout in a couple months, certified banger.
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