Chalk another one up for Ian Machado Garry.
Garry, 25, made it a perfect 5-0 in the UFC (and 12-0) overall in Charlotte on Saturday evening, with the Dubliner become the first fighter to finish veteran Daniel Rodriguez by strikes when he scored a right high kick and finished with a barrage of strikes on the canvas under three minutes into the first round of their main card fight.
It was a win which will almost certainly introduce the Irishman into the top 15 rankings at welterweight when they are released later this week, and comes as part of Garry’s six-fight plan en route to a title shot in which he pledges to defeat two fighters in the top 15, then two in the top then, and two in the top five before culminating in a championship bout.
What was perhaps even more notable was the method of victory. Garry had told the media (and the UFC comms team in their pre-fight meeting) that his right high kick would be the difference maker against Rodriguez — and his pre-fight prediction came true early into that first round.
When you call your shot and hit it, that’s special. The Shot Caller Club has a new entry, Ireland’s Ian “The Future” Garry! #NotAScratch 🇮🇪
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 13, 2023
Ian Garry. Another one! #CantStopDestiny ☘️
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 13, 2023
And this didn’t escape the attention of another Irish fighter who has earned a reputation for calling his shots in the cage: Conor McGregor.
“When you call your shot and hit it, that’s special. The Shot Caller Club has a new entry, Ireland’s Ian “The Future” Garry!” wrote McGregor on Twitter soon after Garry’s victory. He added: “Ian Garry. Another one! #CantStopDestiny”
Garry has made no secret of how McGregor has been a source of inspiration for him throughout his rise from the amateur ranks, towards being a Cage Warriors world champion and to being a ranked contender in the UFC’s welterweight fold.
“It was just cool to see him, he started pounding my chest and telling me I’m a champion and he appreciates the love and respect and support I’ve given him and I just said to him you motivated me to be here,” Garry said of a backstage meeting with McGregor in Las Vegas earlier this year.
“He’s the guy that inspired my entire nation to want to train MMA. The scenes when Conor was on the rise is nuts”.
