Ian Machado Garry believes a fight against Colby Covington will never materialize due to Covington’s fear of facing him.
The Irishman has received a mixed reception from fans since debuting in the UFC back in 2021. ‘The Future’ is now approaching his 10th fight inside the octagon, and while some believe he isn’t cut out to be a mainstay atop the welterweight division rankings, his 9-1 record says otherwise.
Some of his peers aren’t sold by what they’ve seen from Ian Machado Garry thus far in his career, one of those men being division rival Colby Covington.
Despite Covington’s dismissal of his skills, Garry insists the controversial wrestler is scared to sign a bout agreement against him.
“This one’s personal,” an emotional Garry said, referring to a potential Covington fight. “And there’s a reason.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, when that man goes to bed and he closes his eyes, he fears me. He’s never going to step into the octagon with me and back it up, and he knows why.”
Ian Machado Garry has been pleading with the UFC to book him a fight against Colby Covington to no avail.
Last year, Garry insisted that he had agreed to fight the former interim champion but claimed Covington refused to do his part to make the matchup happen.Â
Listen to Ian Machado Garry’s comments about Colby Covington in the video below.
Related: Ian Machado Garry still salty about not getting UFC 315 title shot
For the first time in his career, whilst under the UFC banner, the 27-year-old sits two spots above Colby Covington in the 170 lbs rankings.
The feud could set up a near-future clash between the two, but the rising star has other plans in mind.
Ian Machado Garry will face knockout artist Carlos Prates on April 26, and he believes a win over the Brazilian will put him next in line for a shot at UFC gold.