Michael Chandler, who has trained with both Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque, finds himself in a tricky position ahead of their UFC 296 matchup, especially given the recent drama surrounding Garry’s gym conduct and the enemies he seems to be making within the UFC roster.
Michael Chandler is in a bit of a pickle. UFC 296’s matchup between Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque puts him in a tricky spot.
Why, you ask? Well, Chandler has clocked in plenty of training hours with both fighters at Florida’s Kill Cliff FC gym. Luque, a long-standing member of the team, and Machado Garry, who has trained there before, are both familiar faces to him.
But here’s the twist. There’s been some recent drama involving Machado Garry, and it seems like he’s not making friends within the UFC roster. A few names come to mind – UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, contenders Brendan Allen and Sean Brady, and the team of welterweight champion Leon Edwards. All of them have had a go at Garry for different reasons.
The drama seems to be about Machado Garry’s gym conduct. Chandler gave his two cents on the issue on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
Chandler and Ian’s relationship is, well, interesting. Chandler confessed that he envies Ian’s carefree attitude during fight camps. Chandler is more serious, while Ian is more relaxed.
But it’s not about who’s right or wrong. Chandler recently trained with Vincente Luque and Shavkat Rakhmonov in Florida, but Ian decided not to join this camp. It’s an interesting situation.
Ian has a lot going for him – talent, charisma, and the “Irish mystique”. If he stays focused, he could be a future champion. But he’s got a tough fight ahead with Vicente. Chandler considers both fighters as teammates, though he’s closer to Vicente due to their long training history.
Ian is more of a solo fighter, while Chandler is more of a team player. It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for Ian. Chandler doesn’t think he’s a bad guy, though.
Machado Garry, 26, is a rising star in the UFC welterweight division. He’s undefeated in his pro MMA career and has won all his octagon appearances. His victory over Neil Magny last August catapulted him into the contender mix at 170 pounds.
But he’s also been making headlines outside the ring. Brendan Allen accused him of “selling your soul to the devil for money” over his conduct since leaving Kill Cliff FC. Sean Brady backed Allen’s comments. Machado Garry’s training approach also got him kicked out of Team Renegade, Leon Edwards’ gym, due to what he referred to as Edwards’ “insecurities.”
Chandler finds the topic of gym etiquette a tough one. He’s annoyed that Ian doesn’t always show up on time or attend every practice. Chandler praises Gilbert Burns for his perfect gym etiquette. As for Ian, Chandler doesn’t really know what gym etiquette he’s supposedly breaking, but he’s always found him to be a cool guy.
Chandler has never had issues with Ian, except for his lax attitude towards training. But then again, Chandler admits he’s a bit of a psychopath during training camp, so his judgment might not be the most reliable.