IRVINE, California – Ian Machado Garry is set to take on Colby Covington in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 298. Garry, who boasts an impressive 13-0 record in MMA and a flawless 6-0 record in the UFC, will face Geoff Neal on the main card of Saturday’s event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Garry views his upcoming fight with Neal as a stepping stone towards his ultimate goal of facing Covington. The former three-time title challenger and ex-interim champion is seen by Garry as the key to reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
“My plan is simple,” Garry stated during Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day. “I will defeat Geoff Neal in a spectacular manner this weekend, then I will challenge Colby Covington and retire him. I aim to remove this clown from the UFC once and for all. After that, I will take on a top-ranked fighter, someone ranked three, two, or one in the world, and I will emerge victorious. This will earn me my well-deserved title shot next year.”
Although Covington has expressed some interest in fighting Garry, the undefeated rising star remains confident that he will get his way.
“I believe Covington has no other option,” Garry confidently asserted. “Once I defeat Geoff Neal on Saturday, there will be only one choice, and that choice will be mine.”
For Garry, the prospect of fighting Covington holds a double incentive. He has been critical of both Covington and former middleweight champion Sean Strickland for their controversial marketing tactics.
“I’m not one to shy away from talking trash,” Garry admitted. “That’s just who I am. If someone wants to come at me, I’ll respond in kind. That’s how I was raised, that’s how my friends and I grew up. However, there is a line. There’s a distinction between trash talk and outright abuse. It’s not acceptable to call my wife a pedophile or question the paternity of my child.”
Garry continued, “That’s not trash talk. That’s crossing a line. It’s absolutely despicable, and no one deserves that kind of treatment. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this behavior from both Colby and Sean Strickland. Colby has made disparaging remarks about Leon Edwards’ father, and Sean has displayed a negative attitude towards anyone and everyone. This represents a dark era in MMA, and it goes against the true spirit of the sport.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com