UFC fighter Ian Machado Garry has expressed concerns over the safety of his family after a war of words with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, leading to him feeling trepidatious about his family accompanying him to the US for his upcoming fight against Vicente Luque.
Ian Machado Garry is buzzing for UFC 296 fight week. He’s got a lot on his plate, though, and it’s not all about his Dec. 16 bout with Vicente Luque.
The 26-year-old Irish fighter has been worrying about something else entirely. There’s a potential danger looming over his wife and kid, thanks to a recent spat that’s been brewing. This feud has mainly been with UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland.
Strickland’s been taking cheap shots at Machado Garry’s relationship with his wife, Layla. He’s also made a fuss over some direct messages that Machado Garry supposedly sent. These messages, which were posted on social media, threatened legal action for harassment and character defamation.
Because of this, Machado Garry’s been feeling a bit uneasy. He’s not too sure about his family tagging along to the U.S. for his Las Vegas fight next Saturday.
“I’m pumped for UFC 296,” Garry said to TNT Sports. “It’s a huge card. Big names, big matchups. But I’m a little wary about heading to America. With all the crap that’s been happening online, I want to keep my family safe.”
The latest incident? Strickland claimed he and Machado Garry had a stare-down at the UFC Performance Institute. This happened last week during their training in Vegas.
Strickland then posted a video on social media. Despite calling Machado Garry’s wife a “sexual predator” due to their age difference and a satirical book she wrote years ago, he insisted he had no beef with Machado Garry. He even suggested that if there was any tension, they should meet up and hash it out.
“I don’t want it, but if that’s what you want, you know where to find me, man,” Strickland said in his video.
Machado Garry didn’t mention Strickland by name. He’s trying to keep his eyes on the prize, which is his fight with Luque.
“I’m not worried about the fight,” Machado Garry said. “The fight’s fun. It’s easy for me. It’s something I love.”
Who knows if Machado Garry and Strickland will bump into each other during fight week? Anything’s possible. But Machado Garry seems ready to keep his cool, or at least keep his nerves in check. He’s got bigger fish to fry.
“The buildup to fight week I love,” Machado Garry said. “The press conferences, weigh-ins, everything. I thrive off it. But not being able to react to people in person, it’s going to wind me up a little bit.”