Ian Machado Garry has indicated he would be keen to resolve his differences with fellow welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena in the octagon.
Following Della Maddalena`s recent unanimous decision victory over Belal Muhammad to claim the welterweight title at UFC 315 – an event where Garry served as the backup fighter – comments from Della Maddalena`s coach surfaced, criticizing “The Future” for needing to “figure out how to finish fights.” This prompted a strong reaction from Garry during a recent interview.
Garry was quick to point out Della Maddalena`s own finishing rate. “In his last four fights, Jack has had one finish,” Garry noted. He challenged the coach`s critique, adding, “So he’s telling me I need to get into the gym and I need to find some power. He got beat up pretty bad… Belal ain’t nowhere near the striker I am… I’ll bend his nose backward the way it should be.” Garry explicitly told Della Maddalena`s coach to “stay out of this,” defending the lighthearted nature of his son`s interaction with Della Maddalena regarding missing weight. He made it clear his presence was not for fame but to fight, stating, “I’m flying around the world ready to fight… If he’s the champion, I’ll take the belt from his hands.”
The reference to his son pertains to an incident prior to UFC 315 where, as the backup fighter, Garry had his son deliver candy to Della Maddalena as a playful jab about making weight. This led to an uncharacteristic and harsh response from Della Maddalena, who publicly questioned if the child was truly Garry`s son. Garry is now eager to make Della Maddalena pay for those comments inside the cage.
Garry described the candy gesture as a “playful joke about a child giving a fighter M&Ms” with a simple comedic premise about missing weight, calling it “low-level… a bit of banter.” He labeled Della Maddalena`s subsequent comments as “immature” and revealing of sensitivity. “It shows that he’s very sensitive… what I was doing on fight week irritated him enough to trigger him to say something like that.” Garry believes this suggests Della Maddalena is “mentally weak” and that he can “open up a whole can of irritation” during a potential fight. However, Garry emphasized he would “never stoop so low as to mention his child and his children and his wife,” preferring to settle the score physically: “I’ll punch the mouth off him. I’ll take his belt. I don’t need to say anything.”
Despite Garry`s desire for the matchup, it appears he will have to wait. Della Maddalena is currently expected to make his first title defense against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, though the date for that bout is yet to be finalized. With a crowded welterweight division, Garry is preparing to remain active and build his case for a shot at the title.
Garry speculated the Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight might happen “probably October-ish.” Looking ahead to his own path, he affirmed, “I’m going to continue to be active. I’m never going to stop. I’m a fighter, I want to be active. I want to beat everybody up… I want to prove that I’m the best, and I don’t need a belt wrapped around my waist to prove that I’m the best. I need to keep beating the best fighters in the world and that belt will come in time.”
