8 March 2023
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Sport / Entertainment
Ian Garry, perhaps appropriately nicknamed “The Future”, is looking to become exactly that within the UFC.
The Irish fighter can still be considered to be a rookie of sorts when it comes to professional MMA fighting, although he has been making an incredible impression, especially since he made the move to join the UFC.
Garry may have only had three fights with the major MMA organization; however, he has been able to win each of those contests with ease, sparking conversations that he could potentially reach the same heights as Conor McGregor; a fighter he watched and drew inspiration from when growing up.
File photo of Conor McGregor (Ireland). He is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history, having headlined five out of the six highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events.[14] His bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 drew 2.4 million PPV buys, the most ever for an MMA event
Could Garry Do What McGregor Achieved?
Of course, there is a lot that McGregor managed to achieve during his UFC career, which is set to resume later this year when he faces Michael Chandler. McGregor has been a multi-time champion across various weight divisions and has been a headliner for some of the biggest events.
Many of these events were held in Las Vegas, which has been argued to be the home of the sport. Sin City is also notable for being the entertainment capital of the world, as well as the gambling capital of the US, as it is famous for its casino offerings, as many from around the world continue to flock to the region to try their luck.
A plethora of people visit the area to take in some of the biggest UFC events to be held, and Garry will want to be on those cards in the future, if not headlining them as he becomes the next star to hail from the Emerald Isle.
He will get his chance to show everyone in Vegas what he can do in the Octagon at UFC 285 as he is one of the undercard bouts to appear on the Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane event. Garry will compete against Song Kenan; a Chinese MMA fighter who has a record of 19-6-0, thus providing the Irishman with a challenge.
Garry Is as Ambitious as McGregor
While ‘The Future’ may still have plenty to do at this stage of his career to reach the same heights that McGregor has reached in the UFC, there is no denying that the 25-year-old has the ambition to be able to reach the pinnacle.
He has already spoken about how he wants to use his spot on the UFC 285 card to showcase his skills in Las Vegas and get himself a spot on the upcoming McGregor vs. Chandler card later in the year, before admitting he wants to be the person to bring the organization back to Ireland.
McGregor last brought the UFC back to their homeland in 2014 when he knocked out Diego Brandao at the 3Arena in July of that year. While admitting that it could be difficult to do because of the business model, there is every chance that it could happen, as we have seen several UK-based events and shows take place over the last few years.