Ian Machado Garry rips Colby Covington and former champion for alleged ducking ahead of UFC 310: "F**king mental"

Ian Machado Garry has not held back in criticizing Colby Covington and former champion Kamaru Usman for allegedly avoiding a fight with him prior to UFC 310. After Belal Muhammad withdrew from his scheduled title defense due to injury, Garry steps in to face unbeaten contender Shavkat Rakhmonov in the co-main event this Saturday in Las Vegas.

Garry, who was supposed to headline UFC Tampa against Joaquin Buckley on Dec. 14, expressed frustration after multiple failed attempts to secure a fight with higher-ranked opponents.

In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Garry accused Covington of making excuses to avoid a fight with him.

“You know, he [Covington] wasn't available to fight me. The same day in the same main event [UFC Tampa] that was originally scheduled. He wasn't available. F**king mental.”

Subsequently, Usman was considered a potential opponent, but he, too, declined the opportunity. The Irishman criticized the reluctance of these top-ranked fighters to accept challenging fights, suggesting that they are prioritizing self-preservation over competitive matchups:

“It was first Colby Covington, ran, came up with every excuse in the book. Kamaru Usman, ran, doesn’t want any of the smoke. They mentioned it to other fighters that again, I don't know what their response is, but it just seems to be a lot of people are, I think, disappointing. And people, you would think would be, you know, former champions and the best and the best in the world, just not willing to step into the octagon."

Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments below:

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Ian Machado Garry praises "phenomenal" Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, has come under fire despite his stellar 24-3-0 record and dominance in the division. Muhammad, dubbed a "boring" fighter due to his methodical approach and low finish rate, continues to outperform expectations, cementing his position atop the welterweight rankings.

Garry, who is currently No. 7 ranked in the division, recently defended Muhammad's skills during an interview with Brett Okamoto. He emphasized the champion's ability to destroy opponents, citing Muhammad's impressive victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304. In that fight, Muhammad not only won the title, but also silenced doubters with a commanding performance that included a decisive knockout of Edwards.

While Garry praised Muhammad's style and resilience, he was quick to express his confidence in a potential matchup:

“You have to give Belal the credit where credit is due. I think he is phenomenal at what he does, but what he does is try and put people in a pressure cooker and break them. I am unbreakable.”

Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments below: