Ian Machado Garry can’t wait to get UFC 296 fight week started even if he’s got a lot on his mind right now that has nothing to do with beating Vicente Luque on Dec. 16.
Most notably, the 26-year-old Irish prospect raised concerns over possible danger awaiting his wife and child due to recent drama that has mainly stemmed from a war of words with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. The situation centers around Strickland taking shots at the relationship Machado Garry shares with his wife, Layla Machado Garry, and a series of direct messages allegedly from the welterweight prospect posted on social media where he threatened legal action for harassment and defamation of character.
As a result, Machado Garry says he actually felt trepidatious about his family accompanying him to the United States for the fight in Las Vegas next Saturday night.
“I’m excited for UFC 296,” Garry said speaking to TNT Sports. “I think it’s a massive card. A card with all the big names, a lot of big matchups. I’m a little bit cautious about going to America for the safety of my family with all the s*** that’s been going on online. To protect my wife, to protect my child, to protect myself.”
The most recent incident involved Strickland claiming that he locked eyes with Machado Garry while both fighters were training at the UFC Performance Institute this past week in Las Vegas.
Strickland said in a video he posted on social media afterwards that he really had no problem with Machado Garry despite calling his wife a “sexual predator” due to their age difference and an 11-page satirical book Layla Machado Garry wrote several years ago about how to find and marry a famous athlete done in conjunction with a website she worked for at the time.
He also added if there really was a simmering beef between them then Machado Garry should send him a direct message to set up a time so they could meet up and settle things once and for all.
“I don’t want it, but if that’s what you want, you know where to find me, man,” Strickland said in his video.
Machado Garry never mentioned Strickland by name but he’s clearly attempting to keep his focus on the task at hand, which involves facing Luque in a key matchup in the welterweight division.
“I’m not remotely concerned or worried about the fight,” Machado Garry said. “The fight’s fun. The fight’s easy for me. It’s always something I enjoy, something I love.”
There’s no telling if Machado Garry and Strickland will cross paths again during fight week, although anything seems possible. For his part, Machado Garry appears ready to bite his tongue or at least calm his nerves where Strickland is concerned because he’s got more pressing business to tend to right now.
“The buildup to fight week I love,” Machado Garry said. “The press conferences, weigh-ins, everything. I love it. It’s energy. I thrive off it, but me not being able to react to people in person, it’s going to wind me up a little bit.”