Ian Garry is one of the UFC’s next big hype trains
In today’s UFC, hype trains are a constant phenomenon — everyone wants to get excited about a new upcoming prospect. However, not all of the hype trains live up to their potential, notably Khamzat Chimaev or Sean O’Malley. UFC welterweight fighter Ian Garry is a prospect that has the potential to reach these heights, at least popularity-wise.
Ian “The Future” Garry hails from Ireland, and he is exactly that, their future. He is the biggest Irish fighter making waves in the UFC right now but suffice to say this he is not Conor McGregor. However, no one is or ever will be McGregor.
Garry is on a ten-fight win streak and is 3-0 in the UFC. He was the former welterweight champion at Cage Warriors before he transitioned to the UFC. The 25-year-old is currently training at Sanford MMA in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Standing 6-foot-3 with a 74-inch reach, Garry uses his length to touch his opponents up in all of his fights. He is a striker first and foremost with solid hand speed, combinations and some good power. Garry is also very active with his kicks as he throws powerful leg kicks mixed in with calculated shots to the head.
He has good ground and pound although he is not a wrestler, especially when compared to the top-15 in the welterweight division. Garry has shown skill on the ground but then again, he only has one submission on his record.
Garry has demonstrated throughout his career that he can take a punch and he is not afraid to get into firefights. However, he gets hit too much for my liking as he does not manage range at an elite level. He gets in close to his opponents often at phone booth range which leads to his chin getting tested, but he does not mind. This is what makes Garry so entertaining — he is a fun striker that does not lack confidence. He believes he can beat anyone, and he is willing to stand and bang to prove it.
What’s next for Ian Garry
As I said Ian Garry is 3-0 in the UFC, however, I do not think he should fight a ranked opponent. After a TKO victory, Corey Anderson once passionately screamed, “There’s levels to this,” and I think that holds true in the Garry situation. He is a good fun fighter, but he is not at the level to be fighting ranked opponents. We all saw how much Paddy Pimblett just struggled against Jared Gordon, who was a step up in competition, but Gordon is far from being a ranked lightweight.
I think any welterweight matchup against a non-ranked opponent will be good for Garry. Fighters such as Tim Means or Court McGee will be a small step up in competition to see if Garry is ready to handle a bigger challenge.
The future could be bright for Garry as he has the country of Ireland behind him and the persona to make himself a star. However, you cannot be a star if you cannot beat top-ranked fighters. Ultimately, Ian “The Future” Garry is a talented fighter, but he has a lot to prove in the octagon.
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