Garry fears he'll become 'too big' to headline UFC event in Ireland
Ian Machado Garry is eager to bring the UFC back to Ireland. But he thinks he might be too popular by the time he has the chance.
The rising welterweight star will get the biggest test of his career this weekend when he takes on No. 8-ranked contender Geoff Neal on the UFC 298 main card in Anaheim.
Garry is already the most popular MMA fighter to come out of Ireland since Conor McGregor, and with a victory over Neal, he'll be on the cusp of the welterweight title picture. Although the undefeated 26-year-old wants to headline an event in his home country, he insinuated that his growing star power might make the UFC want to save him for bigger events elsewhere.
"I goddamn hope so," Garry said Wednesday at UFC 298 media day when asked about fighting in Ireland, per MMA Fighting. "I've been saying it. I've been talking about it. I just - I fear that I'm gonna get too big too quick, and they're never gonna go back. And the truth is, I go out there, and I bury Geoff Neal into the ground on Saturday night. Is that already past it? Is Ian Garry too much of a star at that point to go back?"
Dublin's 3Arena is Ireland's biggest indoor venue, but it has a low capacity (about 10,000 for combat sports events) compared to many arenas in the U.S. The UFC ran into this dilemma when McGregor came onto the scene more than a decade ago, and as such, McGregor hasn't fought in Ireland since 2014, and the UFC hasn't been back since 2015.
Regardless, Garry said he plans to "do everything in my power" to bring another event to Ireland.
"I've told (UFC CEO) Dana (White), I've told (UFC chief business officer) Hunter (Campbell), I've told everybody. I want to be the guy that brings the UFC back to Ireland," Garry said. "I feel like I've earned it, I've deserved it."
Garry added he hopes to face Colby Covington next if he beats Neal, and then he wants a No. 1 contender bout before challenging for the 170-pound title in 2025.
"I'm gonna retire him and I'm gonna rid the clown from the UFC," Garry said of Covington. "And then I'll take someone (ranked) 3, 2, or 1 in the world, I'll beat them, and I'll earn my title shot next year."