Ian Machado Garry opened up about his UFC 296 withdrawal.
Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was pulled by doctors from his Dec. 16 welterweight matchup vs. Vicente Luque after falling ill with pneumonia. Garry was subject of plenty of criticism during fight week after failing to show up to media day.
It didn’t take long for Garry to get his next fight rebooked. The undefeated 26-year-old will instead have his previously scrapped bout against Geoff Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) rescheduled when the pair throw down at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, Calif. Garry took to Instagram to share a message with his fans – and his haters.
“Fight week didn’t go as planned. Influenza developed into pneumonia as I dropped weight and for the first time in my career I was pulled by the UFC Doctor. Flying home I met so many fans who flew out specifically to see me. F*ck. This is not how I wanted to meet you. I wanted to put on a show more than anything. Thank you for all your kind words, wonderful messages and to everyone who was there for me. You might read hateful comments online but I’ve discovered they aren’t real. In real life you book flights, hotels, you drive miles, and you show up, in Vegas. I appreciate the hell out everyone and I promise I’ll make it up to you all in February 💜🙏🏼”
When Neal was forced out of their fight at UFC 292, Garry fought Neil Magny instead – a fight he won by lopsided decision. Garry’s antics leading up to that fight were also questioned when he sported a t-shirt with Neal’s mugshot on it. When he drew Magny instead, Garry accused the longtime UFC veteran of child abuse when he took his comments out of context.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
