Ian Machado Garry is set to compete against Vicente Luque at UFC 296, following a win over Neil Magny and despite originally calling out Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Ian Machado Garry’s dreams of taking on Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson might have been stalled, but he’s still set to face a formidable opponent at the year-end showdown at UFC 296. A statement announced by UFC CEO Dana White on Sunday confirmed that Garry will be locking horns with Vicente Luque at the extravaganza scheduled for December 16, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This announcement came after Garry had expressed his interest in challenging Thompson following his remarkable victory over Neil Magny at UFC 292 in August. However, Thompson was matched with Shavkat Rakhmonov, leading Garry to step into the ring with Luque.
Machado Garry is eyeing to enhance his stunning 6-0 record in the UFC through his face-off with Luque. This competition is undeniably expected to be the most challenging to him so far. Meanwhile, Luque, over the years, has marked his territory as one of the leading welterweights, claiming significant victories against opponents like Mike Perry, Michael Chiesa, and ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
After hitting a rough patch with a two-fight losing streak, Luque managed to bounce back into the sphere of winners with a striking victory over Rafael dos Anjos in August. As UFC 296 approaches, the fanatics of the sport are all set to witness these heavyweight contenders in action. Apart from the high-voltage clash between Machado Garry and Luque, the event will also feature other high-profile bouts. The night will see Leon Edwards defending his welterweight belt against Colby Covington while Alexandre Pantoja is set to defend his flyweight title against Brandon Royval.