Ian Machado Garry kept his undefeated record after a clinical striking display at UFC 298 against Geoff Neal.
Coming into the fight week Garry had plenty of media attention on him and almost all fans were team Geoff Neal. The Irishman was booed pre fight, during fight and post fight but kept a smile throughout. Neal was clearly the toughest test to date for Garry and he gave him a tough fight. It was not a back and forth war like the Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa fight that followed however it was a tactically efficient and vital victory on his way to the top of the welterweight division. Boos rang around the arena and many fans accused Garry of running as he skated around the outside and kept the distance against Neal who carries great power in his hands.
Ian Machado Garry Comments on UFC 298 Performance
In the post fight press conference Garry was able to respond to the criticisms from fans and media.
“Firstly, that’s ridiculous,” Garry said. “What was listless about it in your point of view? Footwork, speed, elusivity. If Geoff Neal was running at you swinging bombs, what would you do? You’d f—-ing run. That dude hits like a truck. My job is to make him miss and to counter. My job is to upset his rhythm, upset his footwork and find avenues to take advantage of his mistakes.”
He reiterated by saying , “The truth is, if you crack Geoff Neal or you take an inch too much, he’s gonna put you unconscious. You have to respect that.”
The maturity shown by Garry allowed him to navigate through the fight and come out unscathed allowing him to remain active as he mentioned at the post fight press conference.
“I want to be active, I want to continue to fight,” he said. “If I go out and let Geoff Neal hit me 40 times, chances are I’m not going to be able to turn around very quickly. I can [now]. Give me two or three weeks off… and then we’ll try to book that Colby date next.” Quotes via Sherdog
Calling For Colby Covington
For years the unlikeable American Covington has been lingering around the top of the welterweight division like a bad smell. Ever since his TKO loss to Kamaru Usman back in 2019 his form and performances have been underwhelming and flat. Last December he got a third shot at welterweight gold against champion Leon Edwards and was completely dominated as the Brit cruised to a unanimous decision win.
“I’m gonna go out there and beat Colby Covington like we’ve never seen before. Then I want a Top 3 opponent, someone whose in that title contention. The truth is, Colby’s biggest claim to fame is he’s fought for three world titles and he’s lost all three. He’s not as good as people think he is.”
It is rare that Covington fights down the rankings but at this stage of his career he is no where near a title shot. The fight with Garry would be huge and a victory against the undefeated prospect could very well propel him back into contention particularly if the belt changes hands. With Belal Muhammed getting his title shot soon the options are very limited for the American. Bogeyman prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov is the only other option for Covington that would get him back to title conversations.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
