Ian Garry has explained the thinking behind his post-fight callout of Neil Magny at UFC Charlotte, and said that he wants to use the opportunity to show another side to his game.
Garry defeated Daniel Rodriguez in Charlotte, with “The Future” showing his clean striking skills as he handed “D-Rod” the first knockout loss of his career with a first-round finish.
After his victory, a typically chatty Garry called for a bout with Magny as he heaped praise on the welterweight veteran, before claiming he could defeat the longtime contender “very simply.”
“Neil Magny is a phenomenal talent that’s been around the game for, Jesus, God knows how long,” Garry said.
“He’s been in the top 10, top 15 since I was an amateur. And when you look at the opponents he’s fought, the people he’s fought, his last opponents were Gilbert Burns, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Daniel Rodriguez – they are the elite guys. I want to face someone who’s faced that talent. I want to see what he brings.
"I know he's long, he's tall, he's rangy, he's awkward. I know he likes to mix it up, get dirty, get in. And I want to prove to everyone that I'm so good everywhere. It's not just all the bells and whistles on the feet. It's everywhere and in between, and I'm looking forward to proving it.
“I believe Neil Magny, he's number 11 in the world – I said I wanted two in the top 15 – and I believe Neil Magny is the perfect opponent for me to go out there and smoke, and show the world how good I am, and it's that elevation, that growth, that learning that can still occur in the meantime, and yeah, go out and show the world that I'm better than him, too.”
Garry then said that he sees Magny as the ideal next opponent to propel him toward the division’s elite operators, and he said that he wants to use the bout to showcase his grappling skills. The 12-0 Irishman currently has just one submission win to his name – from his third career bout back in 2019 – but said he could add to that tally against Magny.
“That’s a good one because I believe I can sub him very simply, because I believe he's going to want to stop the striking,” he said.
“Even though he’s longer than me – he’s got like an 80-inch reach, which is ridiculous – I don’t believe he’s going to want to strike with me on the feet. I’m too fast. He’s nowhere near as fast or as accurate as I am on the feet.
“So he’ll want to get in close, maybe take me down and put me on my back, and I look forward to it. So I'd recommend, I'll probably say it will be a submission, and I want that. I want him to take me down. I want to show the world what I've got.”
