Rising welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry won’t be part of the upcoming UFC 296 event. The Irishman was scheduled to face fellow 170lb fighter Vicente Luque this weekend. However, according to the latest news, the fighter had to pull out just hours before his destined clash with the Brazilian.
A former Cage Warriors welterweight champion, Garry made his UFC debut back in 2021. Despite being with the promotion for just two years, the fighter is already one of the most hyped names in the sport of MMA. Sure, his talent inside the ring plays a role in this popularity, but the barrage of controversies revolving around him also contributes to this clout. Regardless, his upcoming bout was highly anticipated before it went into shambles.
Dana White Confirms Ian Machado Garry’s Exit From UFC 296
In one of his recent videos, UFC President Dana White broke the news of Ian Machado Garry pulling out of the UFC 296 event. Rumors around his exit were circulating for a while, but earlier today, White finally confirmed it via his Instagram. According to the American, this is due to the flu, which was later diagnosed as pneumonia.
In the short clip, White says, “Alright guys, I know what’s out there. There’s some speculation that Ian Garry and Luque are off. It is true. Ian Garry started with the flu that turned into pneumonia. So, that fight is off; it is not happening; it is true.” As of now, there is no news if there will be a last-minute replacement for Garry’s opponent, Vicente Luque. However, the fighter recently took to Instagram to wish a speedy recovery to his 26-year-old rival. In his own words:
“Unfortunate news, the fight is out. Unfortunately, Ian is, from what I know, he has some kind of illness… First of all, I wish him the best recovery, a speedy recovery, and the best for his family… I was so ready for this fight; I had a great training camp… Now it’s time for me to rest; I did have a hard training camp.”
Garry Opens Up on the Matter
Moments after Ian Machado Garry’s exit was announced, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani shared the Irishman’s thoughts on Twitter. According to Ariel Helwani, he had this conversation with ‘The Future’ as soon as his UFC 296 exit was announced. The veteran journalist had been tweeting on this matter for a while now and if the Canadian-American is to be believed, Garry ‘sounds quite bad’.
As per his tweet, Garry said: “I have pneumonia. They tried everything to help me. In the end, the UFC doctor said there’s no chance I can fight. The UFC doctor made the call. This annoys me more than anyone. I want to fight. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
