Ian Machado Garry, a 26-year-old Irish UFC fighter, did not attend the scheduled UFC 296 media day, following recent controversies and concerns over his family’s safety due to online harassment.
Ian Machado Garry, the 26-year-old Irish fighter, was a no-show at the UFC 296 media day. It was Wednesday, and he was supposed to be there.
Instead, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson kicked things off. As the day went on, more fighters showed up, but there was no sign of Machado Garry.
Later, UFC officials confirmed that Garry wouldn’t be available. They told MMA Fighting, but didn’t give any reasons. Lloyd Pierson, Garry’s rep, didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
In the weeks leading up to his fight with Vicente Luque, Garry had been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The most notable controversy involved UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland. Strickland had some choice words for Garry and his wife, Layla Machado Garry.
Strickland called Layla, who is 14 years older than Garry, a “sexual predator”. He also mocked a satirical book she’d written about snagging a pro athlete as a husband.
Strickland didn’t stop there. He shared direct messages from Garry, who was threatening to sue him for harassment and defamation.
The online drama took a toll on Garry. He was worried about bringing his family to Las Vegas for the fights.
“I’m a little bit cautious about going to America for the safety of my family with all the s*** that’s been going on online,” he told TNT Sports. He wanted to protect his wife and child, and himself.
Despite his concerns, Garry did show up in Las Vegas for UFC 296 fight week. But he was still a no-show at media day. His next appearance is supposed to be at the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
After Garry skipped out on the media day, Luque had something to say. During his Q&A session, he expressed his support for Garry.
“I believe that if he’s not going to do it, I’m not really into all that is going on,” he said. He’d heard a bit about the controversy and understood if Garry was worried about his family.
“I think it’s very unfortunate all that has gone on regarding him and his family. I think that’s something super disrespectful, and I understand. If he feels better like that, I think he has to do what he has to do,” Luque added.
Luque acknowledged that Garry was missing out on media coverage and a chance to share his side of the story. But he also recognized that Garry was prioritizing his family’s safety. “It’s his decision at the end of the day,” he concluded.