"Hard to not believe him", "Lol" - Fans divided as Ian Machado Garry accuses Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman of turning down a fight against him

Kamaru Usman has not entered the octagon since UFC 294 last October when he suffered a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev after moving up a weight class and taking the bout on short notice. Ian Machado Garry recently took aim at 'The Nigerian Nightmare' and Colby Covington, claiming that both turned down the opportunity to face him.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the No. 7-ranked welterweight claimed:

"So, I had many conversations back-to-back with the UFC - through me, through my agents, to multiple contacts with the matchmakers. Initially, the goal was to line up a fight with Colby Covington. Again, it's no secret that he's been running and then they went down the line and they let us look at Kamaru Usman. Literally, the words I heard from the UFC were, 'Kamaru Usman wants nothing to do with you' as in he's just running, as well."

Check out Ian Machado Garry's full comments below:

Fans shared their reaction to Garry's claim that Usman and Covington ducked him. @PrestigePrince9 believed the No. 7-ranked welterweight, saying:

"hard to not believe him when he’s the one that stepped up to face the hardest task in the decision on short notice too"

@EzeMmu00 simply laughed at the comments from Garry:

"Lol"

@ITSDAFANTA noted that Usman has expressed he has no interest in fighting without a full camp again:

"Usman already said he’s not fighting on 2 months notice This guy is slowly losing my respect again"

@TheCSMatrixer claimed that the former welterweight champion has already proven he is not a duck:

"Bruh, the cuck is yapping. Why would Kamaru one of the best WW champions not want anything to do with Ian the cuck Garry? That sounds more like Colby not Kamaru. Kamaru is probably not ready yet & probably doesn’t want another short notice fight. We know Kamaru isnt a duck"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Ian Machado Garry claims Kamaru Usman is looking for better stylistic matchups

Ian Machado Garry will face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 this weekend, with a welterweight title opportunity on the line. 'The Future' recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and called out Kamaru Usman, claiming that the former welterweight champion is looking for better stylistic matchups:

"Usman has a big chest and little b**ls. He looks good... He's got a big chest, he looks good, he plays the part, but where it matters between the legs, he's a little man. That's my outlook on it. He's worried again. Him and Colby [Covington], they're older. They've been through the division. They fought these guys. Now, they're getting to the end of their career and they want to choose the better stylistic matchups."

Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments on Kamaru Usman below:

Garry predicted that Usman would look to face Jack Della Maddalena next, citing Gilbert Burns' ability to take down the No. 4-ranked welterweight. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has not shared his plans for his next bout, however, he has been open about his desire to work his way back to a title opportunity.