Garry says he's 'carrying' UFC 292: I'm the superstar of the event
UFC 292 isn't short on star power, with Sean O'Malley's first-ever title fight and a Zhang Weili title defense at the top of the bill. However, rising welterweight Ian Machado Garry is convinced he's the real marquee attraction.
Garry, the No. 13-ranked fighter at 170 pounds, faces Neil Magny on Saturday's main card in Boston in what will be the biggest test of his career so far. Garry was originally scheduled to take on Geoff Neal, who pulled out of the fight last week.
"I believe that I am carrying this 292 card on my back, and that if it wasn't for me, this card would've gone down the drain," Garry said Monday on "The MMA Hour." "With the opponent change and everything - at the end of the day, I'm just happy the fans get to see me."
The Irishman recently spent over two months training in Brazil. As there are significant Irish and Brazilian populations in Boston, the 25-year-old expects a huge reception from fans at TD Garden, the same building in which Conor McGregor had one of his breakthrough moments back in 2015.
"This is the stage, the platform where I go in there and - you've got the likes of Sean O'Malley and (bantamweight champion) Aljamain (Sterling) and all these guys - I'm the superstar on the card," Garry said.
"It happened in the last fight. It's happening in this fight. The wheels are in motion. I just have to show up and do my thing and the world will see."
Garry is 5-0, including three knockouts, since debuting in the UFC in 2021. He's 12-0 as a pro.