Ian Machado Garry reacts to Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from UFC 303

UFC 303 was going to be a particular second for Ian Machado Garry’s preventing profession.

Not solely was the UFC welterweight contender taking one other step ahead in his promising profession, however he was additionally going to be preventing in the identical occasion as his childhood idol Conor McGregor. McGregor, the largest star within the historical past of the game, impressed Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) to take up MMA and chase a profession as an expert fighter.

Nevertheless, the dream to share a card with McGregor got here to an finish final week, as McGregor had to withdraw from his combat with Michael Chandler as a result of damage.

“The one cause I’m preventing anybody on June 29 was as a result of I needed to combat on the identical combat (card) as Conor,” Garry informed MMA Junkie. “I needed to signify Eire side-by-side with Conor and do our nation proud. The 2 greatest stars in MMA in Eire, representing our nation on the largest stage attainable, breaking information within the UFC – which Conor already did. That’s what I needed to do. I needed to get collectively as a staff and signify our nation.”

Garry nonetheless stays on the cardboard, as he’ll be taking over Michael Web page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) within the opening bout of the pay-per-view portion of the occasion, which fits down on June 29 at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas.

Garry admits McGregor’s withdrawal harm, however he’s optimistic that this might result in a UFC occasion in Eire.

“For me, it was going to be a full circle second,” Garry stated. “Being a child in Dublin, going into faculty each Monday morning speaking about Conor’s press conferences and fights and speaking to all of my buddies, and that construct up that pleasure and that buzz that he created. For me to be that child at school speaking about him, to be speaking in that very same stage with him on the press convention after which moving into the identical octagon as him that evening and representing our nation within the greatest stage attainable, it will’ve been a dream come true.

“However God has different plans, and he works in mysterious methods. I’m excited to see Conor again and perhaps, simply perhaps, this implies we get our Eire occasion. Possibly this implies we will get to carry it again to Eire, and we will foremost and co-main collectively.”

With McGregor out and being the one Irishman on the cardboard, Garry feels even a much bigger responsibility to signify.

“I nonetheless a job to do,” Garry defined. “I nonetheless must go on the market and show that I’m the perfect fighter within the welterweight division. I’ve so as to add that No. 15 to this stunning tally and take MVP’s scalp and do it in stunning trend. Now I’m the one carrying the flag for Eire. I’m nonetheless doing it. I’m going to show that the preventing Irish are nonetheless in pressure, that we’re going to do it collectively, and once we go to battle, we go to battle.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 303.