Ian Machado Garry sits down with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto ahead of #UFC303 where he is set to take on Michael “Venom” Page.
here Ian Gary who fights at International fight week and a fight that he has no interest in man I was like that’s one way you could start at the interview um yeah yeah unfortunately that is where we are but we got to deal with it um it was if if it’s not an interesting opponent at least it looked like a very interesting Camp man tell me about your camp and going down to Shoe Box I’ve actually been fortunate enough to go down to sou Paulo and see that atmosphere and so I can kind of picture it like even like the the way the light comes in with all of those windows it’s just it is a nice place how was your experience down there it’s it’s a beautiful place Brazil is very special and to have a team and an energy and a family like that is super super special the gym is beautiful but the energy inside of it that all the people that walk through those doors possess is the biggest thing about that gym they are just amazing humans amazing people and they will help you in any way shape and form possible to get the best out of you MH what are you looking for in a gym because it’s no secret I mean some people talk about like hey Ian Gary doesn’t like stay at a gym for very long what are you looking for well I so for me it’s not that I don’t stay at a gym for very long it’s there’s so much to learn on the planet there’s so much to learn in the world and locking myself down to one place I believe prohibits growth MH I went and I trained in America with some of the greatest fighters in in the UFC with some of the best coaches in the world I then went to Brazil because I wanted to focus on jiujitsu and and adding that part of my game while it’s also mixing with the beautiful aggressive Muay Thai style that shoot the Box possesses and adding to my game and and PE like piecing up different pieces of every every culture or every team’s option to learn and grow from that point and it’s I will continue to travel and I continue to learn but shoot the box is my home they’re my family now they’re they’re too special to ever to ever leave but I will travel the world still and learn from other people because it’s it’s too much of a missed opportunity and your team was telling me that you learned Portuguese to do this uhuh uhhuh I have to I was like it’s one of these things so my son only speaks Portuguese he understands Portuguese so I completely completely get it now obviously I’m like not 100% of the way there but I’m getting there I can I can I can understand 90% of it as you have traveled around and seen these different cultures and like you like I like the way you phrase it like it’s different aggression levels there different just like there’s different feels to the fight game what are you finding that Ian Gary is like what is your identity as a as a fighter where do you fit in and all that I’m someone who seeks for knowledge knowledge is I believe is the most powerful thing you can possess as a fighter and because knowledge is having doors having options if a fight’s not going the way I want it to go I have this option if the fight’s not going that way all right switch it up add this like options and knowledge give you the keys to unlock adversity and for me to learn from all of these different people and different styles it gives me the ability to be able to meet adversity with a smile on my face and I feel like that’s such a powerful tool to have in your back pocket how about you know I’ve heard you say in in a lot of interviews of course that you are representing Ireland that obviously Connor was a big deal on this card but you’re going to you’re going to take that that Banner have you what’s been sort of your gauge and like the P cuz you have a good you know pulse on things with Connor falling out like what is the Ireland support like for you what is your relationship with Ireland Ireland fan base right now I think not Joel starand but everyone who’s a fan of MMA was disappointed to a certain extent and upset upset would be the more appropriate word when Connor’s fight got pulled because of how big and how special his energy is when it comes to fight week look you’ve been grateful enough to be there around I’ve never been there I’ve never been to a Conor McGregor fight week I’ve never experienced that energy you have mhm but I’ve seen it I know it’s different I know it’s like look at the press conference room and see how many chairs it are as oppos to normally there ain’t that many chairs he brings a different a different draw far more attention than anyone else in MMA but at the end of the day me and him still represent the same country and me and him both fly to flag for the Irish and Connor famously said when one of us goes to war we all go to war and having two of our horses like in the race is important and it’s it’s better than having one but we still have one horse in the race and I’m him I’m going to fly to flag for our country and I’m going to war my entire country is behind me the UFC unfortunately doesn’t ask me to to chip in on these types of ideas but I really think that they should just do an event in Ireland with you man like main event with you don’t need like Connor is would be great but I’ve done everything I I I’ve done everything I’ve been asked to do and I’m going to continue to do everything that I need to do to become one of the greatest martial artists the world has ever seen But I want to tick that box on my list I want to bring the UFC back to Dublin Ireland I I know I can do it I know we can sell out a stadium I know we could make it special and the truth is me and Connor could do it together and do a crow Park and change the game and break all the records or I could do it on my own in the three Arena and warrant just bringing them back because of the poll that that will have for Irish MMA and the kids that are in in that country that will from that point on will be emotionally invested in being better and and connected to my career and hopefully there’ll be one kid that will do exactly what I did and go that’s what I want to do be honest does it feel like it’s getting closer or do you feel like it’s not on their radar still I I still slight like I I still feel like it’s not on the radar yeah um and when you look at it when you look at someone like Max Holloway like and you see everything he’s doing in MMA but they’re not going to go to Hawaii because the infrastructure is just in their mind too hard yeah I understand it but at the same time you’ve been to Ireland you’ve done it you don’t have that excuse let me keep doing what I’m doing and let me put on a show because my fans deserve it the Irish as a nation bringing the UFC back to the Emerald Isle is something that is absolutely on my list yeah and I I hope it happens I would love to see it let’s talk a little bit about MVP what do you think is the most like when you’re scouting him and you’re sort of watching other guys the people who have struggled with him why why do you think they struggle with him they get frustrated they don’t know how to they don’t understand movement his patterns his technique his timing they get frustrated because they don’t have success and then they panic and they make mistakes which is phenomenal from his point of view because that’s exactly what you want to do as a fighter is make someone feels so uncomfortable that they start to make mistakes so from that point of view he has a great a great understanding of how to frustrate people I ain’t going to get frustrated I have all the patience in the world I have all the time in the world we got 15 minutes 15 minutes is a long time to be locked in that octagon with someone I am going to take advantage of him at some point and I’m going to finish him I mean the UFC has obviously been building you they’ve invested in you they’re they’re they’re they’re um tactical with the way they match made you every fight has been a gradual Step Up do you see that as this one is is he better than is he more challenging than Jeff Neil I don’t think he’s more challenging than Jeff Neil but I think I think Jeff Neil had such power that it was like like you really have have to respect him I don’t I don’t believe MVP has the same strength but I believe his his awkwardness in in a from a stylistic point of view absolutely warrants to respect and you said it at the start of the show like I have no interest in fighting I don’t I have no interest in fighting him I’ve said it from from day one like I want to fight people higher up the ranks than me I want to earn the opportunity to be a world champion and I want to do it against the best guys in the UFC fighting him for me just feels like more of a ball than it does anything else it’s like all right I’ve got a a style that’s not very common but I’ll go out there and I’ll do it I have adapted this Championship mentality now that I am one of the bests in the world and it doesn’t matter who’s across that octagon I’m going to have to prove it now and so that’s been the shift in mindset for me because I still don’t want to fight him but I just have to go out there and prove all right there’s a reason I’m ranked higher than you and everyone in the world’s going to find out why I’ve seen you say also that like with all the movement that he does but he you believe he’s going to be cautious in this fight 100% 100% does that mean that we’re in a situ where and he’s going to tell you he will be and on Fight Night he’s going to [ __ ] he’s going to just do all his funny movement going to [ __ ] throw his hands up in the air move his feet all to try distract me and I’m just going to stand there and be like whenever you’re ready let’s dance but if you just want to keep doing that stupid [ __ ] movement then off you go yeah and I’ll be there and it is not you don’t have to fight in any way that he is trying to get you to but does does that build a concern then of like you know you’re trying to build your name and that are the fans going to start booing in this fight you know is is there a concern in this no I don’t think so because I think he is the type of person he is a showman he is a showman and if he hears that he will want to put on that show and I believe so am I like I will be out there and I will do exactly the same thing I will try run through him both of us are going to be intelligent about it but I believe he’s going to be far more cautious knowing the weapons I possess he’s not going to be so aggressive with me and I promise you and if he is then it’s a it’s going to be an easy night M uh last thing for you and um you know let’s see if we can create one of those things that like maybe whenever the case is this is a little clip that they throw on the countdown show because you have a good gauge on things you know how the game works when and where do you think Ian Gary fights for a UFC Championship when I think I’d want it to be in Vegas I think I have such a connection with Vegas you know I got married here I had my first baby scan here when my wife was pregnant I I absolutely love and adore the energy around Vegas I think it’s just like it’s chaotic and I love it I I thrive in that chaos so I feel like I would want it to be in Vegas and I feel like it’s going to be in two to three fights time I feel like potentially we’re looking at an international fight weeks next year where I get that belt WRA around my waist and it’s the end of the welterweight division as we know because I am dominating this for years to come all right we’ll see maybe maybe Connor will headline and maybe we’ll be using this clip next intern I don’t know I don’t know if I’m fting for the title I’m taking the headline so we can have an ego battle over that between the two of us but if I’m fighting for World tit I’m on my come up maybe that’s where I’ll maybe I’ll try look I think get sit down and go kid back in your [ __ ] lane and that’s what I would do if I was him I would love to see that but we’ll see we’ll see you never know like that guy’s he’s very special so if if there’s an opportunity where I can win a world title on the same show as on the same card as him sign me up every day of the week y [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]