UFC 303: Ian Garry Provides Update on Colby Covington, Other Contenders: ‘They’re Running'

Garry's looking for a fight: "I've gone through about 8 or 9 names..."

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ian Machado Garry moves in for a hit against Geoff Neal / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ian Machado Garry can't seem to find a dance partner.

The Irish welterweight has yet to be beaten during his UFC tenure, boasting back-to-back wins over ranked contenders Neil Magny and Geoff Neal. Despite having a #7 ranking next to his name, Garry says not many people are lining up to fight him, especially not Colby Covington.

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Garry has been fixated on facing the former title challenger ever since Covington infamously made mention of his wife, Layla, at the UFC 296 press conference last year and took aim at Garry in the process. Bad blood runs through and through as the welterweights have engaged in a war of words over the last few months regarding a potential fight.

"The Future" wanted Covington to meet him in the co-main event of UFC 303 on June 29, right underneath Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, but Garry has revealed that grudge match may have been too good to be true.

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ian Machado Garry lands a hit against Geoff Neal. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

"Colby is officially out," Garry told Talk Sport of the Covington fight. "He sustained an injury in December that he medically won't be cleared until September. No, I don't believe a f****** second of it. I think he's running. I don't think he wants anything to do with me, and he's running. But, that's where I'm at. He won't be competing again until the end of the year."

Covington, who's coming off his third unsuccessful title challenge against Leon Edwards, has discussed the Garry matchup on his social media but claims the UFC never made him an offer to fight the Irishman.

"We all know that he’s a c*ck, but now we know he’s a liar,” Covington said on The Rush with Maxx Crosby. “UFC, Hunter (Campbell), Dana (White), they haven’t talked to me about this fight. This fight has not been presented. He’s just lying and he’s trying to get clickbait and people to talk about him.”

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On the other hand, Garry says the fight offer for UFC 303 was very much real.

"Do you believe anything comes out of that man's mouth?" Garry said of Covington's recent contract claims. "If he was the one person you'd be trusting in the world to trust what comes out of his mouth? You wouldn't, right? He's a lying [expletive]. He manipulates his words and says what he says, but at the end of the day, I sent you an email. You read that email. You've seen that email. I was offered Colby Covington. The UFC offered me Colby Covington. Colby is running, in my mind. He wants none of this. He doesn't like fighting people younger than him. He doesn't like fighting people faster than him. I'm far, far superior than him in every single which way. The truth is when he goes to bed at night, he knows the truth. He knows he's running, and he has to live with that."

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colby Covington reacts after losing to Leon Edwards. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

"How could it not be?" Garry said, when asked if this fight with Covington was personal. "How could it not be with all the s*** he's talked, with all the stuff he said, but he gets the opportunity to fight me on the biggest card of all time potentially, and he's running. It shows his true colors. He talks, but he doesn't walk. I have always said yes to anyone put in front of me. Anyone the UFC has offered me, I've said yes to. Colby runs. He can't help himself."

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With the Colby Covington fight off the table, Garry still very much has his sights on competing at UFC 303 during International Fight Week. Though, Garry appears to still have the same troubles he had with Covington as far as getting his opponent to sign the contract.

"It's [UFC] 303 or nothing for me... There's been other people that have been offered, and they're running, too. They're all coming up with excuses. At the end of the day, whoever wants to show up across 303 in that Octagon on June 29th, I'm sick of this ranking stuff. I'm in a position where everyone above me is injured, and then Leon [Edwards] and Belal [Muhammad] are facing off against each other. I have no interest in fighting below me, but I'm kind of in a position where I have no choice other than to wait, for example. Last thing I wanna do is wait. I wanna be active. I wanna fight. I wanna compete. It's what I love to do. So anyone that is willing to stand in that Octagon across June 29th can get their ass whooped."

Garry says he's been a "yes man" for the UFC, accepting any fight the promotion has given him, including former Bellator star Michael "Venom" Page, among others.

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Michael Page (blue gloves) fights Kevin Holland (red gloves). / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

"I've said yes to that name," Garry said, when asked about Page. "Him and his coaches are deciding because he feels a bit heavy. He's a bit heavy to make weight in 7 weeks' time, but I've said yes. There's been so many at this point. You kinda lose count. I feel like I've gone through about 8 or 9 names, and it's like, no, don't want that fight, not interested. The UFC are saying that they're not interested in it. They've offered me Colby. I said yes to 'MVP.' I've said yes to Sean Brady. I've said yes to, I don't even know his name, the Uzbekistani guy [Nursulton Ruziboev] if he had won. I've said yes to Joaquin Buckley. I've said yes to every single person that has come my way. That is what I do. And since I've entered UFC I've seen, I've done nothing different. I say yes. I say what date, where, and when."

As UFC 303 draws closer and closer, who should Ian Garry fight next?

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