Ian Garry called for fight with Colby Covington, and the UFC should book it at UFC 301: Here’s why

After UFC 298, Ian Garry is still undefeated, having preserved his unbeaten record after a technical but ultimately unremarkable chess match with Geoff Neal, which saw the Irishman win via split-decision. In his post-fight interview, 'The Future' issued a challenge to former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington.

The Irishman implored UFC CBO Hunter Campbell to give him the matchup with Covington, a man whose over-the-top trash-talking has been a thorn in his side. He even vowed to retire him. While Covington previously called for a bout with Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, the UFC ought to reconsider his request.

Instead, the promotion should honor Garry's request, and there are several reasons why. In fact, the promotion ought to book the pair for UFC 301, which is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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The promotional goldmine of Ian Garry's feud with Colby Covington

The UFC, along with its fans, is a sucker for a good feud. Several of its high-selling pay-per-views were headlined by feuds that took on a deeply personal complexion like the rivalries between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, and of course, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

It is safe to say that Colby Covington's issues with Ian Garry and vice versa have gotten personal. The enmity between both men began when Garry scoffed at Covington's status as a top fighter, correctly pointing out that 'Chaos' claim to fame is losing well to Kamaru Usman twice.

"The biggest thing Colby Covington has done is lose to Kamaru Usman, twice."

Check out Ian Garry criticizing Colby Covington's career:

He further expressed his desire to knock Covington unconscious either in Ireland or the latter's hometown of Miami. This drew a response from Covington himself, who threatened Garry in an interview. However, things soon escalated following the scandal revolving around Garry's wife and her book, 'How to be a WAG.'

With the revelation that his wife's ex-husband was his nutritionist, rumors arose about him living with the couple. Always one to weaponize the personal lives of others, the three-time welterweight title challenger disparaged Garry as a cuckold and verbally attacked his wife.

"I got one more survey for you all. For all the people out there. How many of you guys have f***ed Ian Garry's wife?"

Check out Colby Covington insulting Ian Garry's wife:

Naturally, the remarks enraged Garry, who now wants nothing more than to throttle Covington's throat. Both men are trash-talkers, and the pre-fight buildup to a potential fight would draw significant attention, especially if Garry wears a t-shirt with the infamous picture of Covington with a chipped tooth.

Thus far, UFC 301 has not had any notable fights. The matchups announced for the event are largely forgettable, so a headline-grabbing bout would do wonders for its appeal to fans. Furthermore, a fight between Garry and Covington is important from a competitive standpoint.

'The Future' is primarily a striker and has not yet been tested by an elite wrestler like Covington. If he is to be the potential star that the UFC envisions, he must prove his mettle against his perceived grappling kryptonite. Meanwhile, Covington has not fought anyone ranked at welterweight who wasn't the champion.

He has, undeservedly, only been in title fights, losing every single time. He has not faced anyone from the current generation of fighters, and his desire to fight the 41-year-old Stephen Thompson, who is coming off a loss and has gone 1–3 since 2021, left fans rolling their eyes. He wants a winnable fight.

"Hunter [Campbell], you know what I want. His name is Colby 'Chaos' Covington."

Check out Ian Garry calling out Colby Covington (1:41):

Covington has already proven to be difficult for the promotion to deal with. The possibility of Garry beating him and potentially leaving Covington in a much poorer position to request the kinds of fights he wants, like title shots or bouts with over-the-hill fighters, could prove beneficial for the UFC.

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UFC 301, and Ian Garry's connection to Brazil relative to Colby Covington's

As previously mentioned, UFC 301 takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Given its location, a bout between Ian Garry and Colby Covington would draw more attention than anything short of whichever title fight the promotion puts together for the card.

First, Garry is married to a woman of Brazilian descent whose mother is from the country. Second, he took his wife's birth surname of Machado, and third, he has expressed an interest in representing Brazil. While these connections to Brazil seem fairly superficial, they put Garry in a unique position compared to Covington.

They make him someone easy for Brazilians to rally behind against Covington, who previously referred to the country as a 'dump' and the Brazilians as 'filthy animals' in his most infamous promo. His words drew widespread condemnation and rendered him one of the most reviled fighters for Brazilians.

"Brazil, you're a dump! All you filthy animals suck!"

Check out Colby Covington's most infamous post-fight interview (0:18):

Given how polarizing and disliked Garry has been due to recent events, booking him to face Covington in Brazil would finally place him in a situation where he would be cheered and supported. Furthermore, in the event of a win, he would gain an enormous fanbase from Brazil.

He would have avenged all of the Brazilians offended by Covington's past insults, and be supported by two countries in Brazil and Ireland. For a potential future star, legions of loyal fans are of great importance. Additionally, it also sets things up for the future, if Garry indeed becomes a title challenger or champion.

His first championship fight, and subsequent title defenses should he win, could be booked to take place in Brazil, for whom the UFC has not been too keen on assembling the best of cards. So, a star in Garry as the defending champion headlining most UFC pay-per-views in Brazil could prove fruitful.

He has trained in Brazil, speaks Brazilian Portuguese and likely already has something of a fanbase in the country. His stardom would only get magnified by a win over Covington.

Check out Ian Garry training in Brazil:

The promotion wouldn't even have to book too many attention-grabbing fights, as 'The Future' would be able to carry these cards under ideal circumstances. But, this can only happen if Garry vs. Covington is scheduled for UFC 301.