Ian Machado Garry is raising the stakes ahead of his proposed showdown with Colby Covington.
The Irishman, a perfect 7-0 in the UFC’s welterweight division (and 14-0 overall), has made no bones about wanting former three-time title challenger Covington as his next opponent in the Octagon. The two have traded public callouts of one another on social media, with Machado Garry proposing a so-called ‘I Quit’ match in which the loser must leave the UFC, while Covington has said he will accept the bout provided that his opponent and his wife agree to some stipulations.
But speaking to MMA Fighting this week, Machado Garry underscored that his motivation is to rid the UFC — and mixed martial arts as a whole — of the American contender.
“I want to fight him because of the following he has, the respect on his name as one of the better fighters in this division and has been for a long time,” he said.
“I want to fight him because of all the sh*t that he has talked about me and my family, and I’m going to make sure that he regrets every word he’s said. But I also know that even if it was the best Colby Covington we ever seen, he would never stand a chance against me. No matter how good Colby Covington ever could be or would be, he would never be able to beat me. I’m too elite. I’m too fast. I’m too technically brilliant. He just doesn’t stand a chance.”
He added: “I don’t think the guy deserves any respect in the world, to be honest with you. The sh*t he talks… I’ll step into that Octagon, and I’ll retire him. That’s my goal. My whole goal to when I fight Colby Covington is that he never puts on MMA gloves ever again.”
Machado Garry, who now trains at Chute Boxe in Sao Paulo, also explained that his adopted home would have his back in his pursuit of Covington.
“You don’t deserve to be at the top of the division anymore,” he said, addressing his rival. “I’m going tot retire you. All of Brazil is going to have a smile on their face when I knock you unconscious and leave you in a puddle of your own blood, face down on the canvas. Colby, you’re done.”
