Ian Garry is set to make his return to the octagon when he faces Geoff Neal at UFC 298 this weekend. The bout will mark the first time 'The Future' enters the octagon after finding his marriage to Layla Anna-Lee targeted by the mixed martial arts community.
Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland was among the biggest critics of the marriage, labeling the No.10-ranked welterweight as a victim. Speaking at the UFC 298 media day, Garry called out 'Tarzan', stating:
"My wife was called a pedophile by Sean Strickland. No woman ever deserves to be called that. That's the truth. My son - the people that follow Sean Strickland commented on a couple of my photos at the very start of all this hate saying, 'is the kid even his?' I should never have to hear that. Now, those two things, they emotionally get me and I'll get mine back. I'll pump the f**king mouth off Sean Strickland one day and there'll be nothing he can do about it."
Garry continued:
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"I'll talk to him. I'll dance in his face. I'll do whatever I want because the truth is when we get locked into that cage one day, he's never going to be able to deal with me... When you attack people in my circle when they don't deserve it, that's out of line. Sean Strickland is not the f**king voice we should all be listening to. He's deeply, deeply indebted with trauma. He should just be silent and try to deal with his own personal issues himself."
Check out Ian Garry's comments on Sean Strickland below:
Garry added that he is proud of himself and is happy to be sharing every day of his MMA journey with his wife and kid beside him. He noted that he is blocking out the outside noise and protecting his peace.
Ian Garry reveals desire to serve as co-main for Conor McGregor's return
Ian Garry has made it clear that he is a big fan of compatriot Conor McGregor. With 'The Notorious' seemingly nearing a return to the octagon, 'The Future' revealed that he is hoping to fight in the co-main event of the card.
During a recent appearance on TNT Sports' Fight Week Preview Show, the 26-year-old welterweight was asked if he could make a quick turnaround for UFC 300, responding:
"No, unless Conor's on that card and I get to share a card with Conor. I have other plans. All I know now is that we've got February and the only rumor we hear is from the big man himself saying that he'd like to fight June 29th in International Fight Week. Now, fingers crossed that gets made because if that gets made, I have the perfect co-main and I think you guys can guess who it might be... He's a bit of a clown if you want any hints."
Check out Ian Garry's comments on fighting on the same card as Conor McGregor below:
Garry has previously expressed an interest in facing Colby Covington next, leading fans to believe that is who he is referring to. He spent time training with McGregor in 2023 and looks to follow in his footsteps by becoming the second UFC champion from Ireland.