Ian Machado Garry has withdrawn from UFC 296 due to pneumonia, resulting in the cancellation of his fight with Vicente Luque.
Ian Machado Garry’s out. He won’t be fighting at UFC 296. Pneumonia’s got him down and out, and his bout with Vicente Luque? Scrapped.
Dana White, the big boss at UFC, confirmed it on Wednesday. Chael Sonnen was the first to spill the beans, though.
White took to Twitter, saying, “Ian Garry started with the flu that turned into pneumonia.” He added, “So that fight is off and is not happening. It is true.”
Machado Garry was supposed to chat with reporters at UFC 296 media day on Wednesday. But, he was a no-show. At the time, no one knew why.
There were whispers, though. Machado Garry had been in a nasty spat with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. He’d even said he was worried about his family’s safety.
Turns out, that had nothing to do with his absence. Machado Garry was sick, real sick. He needed treatment for pneumonia. Now, he’s got to sit out the fight with Luque and focus on getting better. His next fight? Not till 2024.
UFC’s still figuring out what to do about the main card. Machado Garry vs. Luque was a big deal. They haven’t said which undercard fight will fill the gap. But UFC 296? It’s still on, with 13 fights, even without the welterweight matchup.