Ian Machado Garry has challenged Colby Covington to an all-or-nothing retirement match, criticizing Covington’s failures in three consecutive UFC title shots and his lack of victories over any fighter currently ranked in the UFC’s welterweight top 15.
Ian Machado Garry’s got a fresh proposition for Colby Covington. It’s a response to a rather crude callout by Covington last week.
Garry’s challenge? An all-or-nothing retirement match. He posted this on Instagram, just this Sunday.
He’s not holding back, either. He’s calling out Covington for his three consecutive UFC title shot failures. And he’s not impressed with Covington’s track record. Not a single win against a fighter in the UFC’s welterweight top 15? That’s a no from Garry.
And then, the twist. Garry wants a WWE-style “I quit” match. The loser retires. No ifs, ands, or buts.
You can see Garry’s response below.
He’s got a message for Covington. “Listen here, Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington, you’re not the boss of me,” Garry says. “You’re not calling the shots. You gave me three stipulations, all unrelated to fighting. All about my wife. I don’t know about you, but women aren’t possessions. My wife’s no trophy. Focus on me. I’m your opponent. I’m the one who’s going to knock you out. So, stop the deflection and keep Layla’s name out of it. You’re not America’s sweetheart. You’re an underachiever.”
He’s not done. “You’re the only one in UFC history to lose three world title fights. You haven’t won against anyone in the top 15. So, why should I fight you? I’ve got one reason. I challenge you to an ‘I quit’ match. One of us has to say, ‘I quit.’ Whoever says it retires. Gloves off, center of the octagon, goodbye, my friend. I’ll be the end of your legacy of failure. I’ll rid the UFC of Colby Covington for good. I’ll make MMA great again.”
Garry’s record? 14-0. He’s the No. 8 ranked welterweight in the world by MMA Fighting. He’s undefeated. He’s won all seven of his UFC appearances. His recent victories include Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, and Geoff Neal.
What about Covington? He’s 17-4. He’s not ranked on MMA Fighting’s welterweight rankings. But he’s a big name in the UFC’s division. He’s 36. He’s won only two of five matches since December 2019. His wins were against the now-retired Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal. But he lost title matches to Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards.