Athletes
Neil Magny Plans To Humble Ian Machado Garry
Welterweight stalwart Neil Magny Wants To Show Rising Star Ian Machado Garry That There Are Levels To The Game When They Collide At UFC 292: Sterling vs O’Malley
When Neil Magny was in the U.S. Army, a drill sergeant once told him, “I can show you better than I can tell you.” That mantra is on Magny’s mind this week as he prepares to face the undefeated Ian Machado Garry at UFC 292 in Boston.
Magny, a UFC veteran of 30 fights, has been around the block and seen it all.
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He has the most wins in UFC welterweight history (21), no welterweight has spent more time fighting in the Octagon than him, and he needs just six significant strikes to officially hold the record for most significant strikes landed in UFC welterweight history.
With all that experience comes plenty of lessons along the way. Magny has used those lessons to grow both mentally and physically over the years. At UFC 292 he’s looking forward to providing Machado Garry with his own fresh experiences.
Machado Garry is 13-0 with five fights in the UFC. He’s quickly climbed his way into the rankings thanks to some thrilling performances and his charismatic personality. Machado Garry says what he feels and has no doubt that he’ll back it up.
Machado Garry was initially slated to fight Geoff Neal at UFC 292, but about two weeks ago Neal was forced to pull out of the fight with an injury. That’s when Magny stepped up. He felt like he needed to teach Machado Garry a lesson.
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“Just as much as I had to experience and learn during my process in UFC, he’s going to do the same and it’s my job almost to give him that gift on Saturday night,” Magny told UFC.com. “I feel like it will be my gift to him to go out there and give him a proper ass whoopin’ to learn from and grow from and become the best fighter he can be later on.
“It’s a puzzle that no one else has figured out yet. The finish is going to happen but, like I said, it’s going to be an ass whoopin’. It’s going to be one of those things that will make him realize, ‘Oh wow, I should probably not be as boastful; I should probably be a little more humble. I probably should not be walking around with people’s mugshots on my shirt when they are at their lowest, kind of taking pride in that. I shouldn’t do these things.’
“I can tell you, ‘Hey man, take a step back be a little more humble’ and you’ll be like ‘Screw you, I’m undefeated I’m going to do what I want.’ But I’m going to go out there and show you. That’s going to be my gift to him on Saturday night.”
Top Finishes | Neil Magny
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Top Finishes | Neil Magny
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Back in May, Machado Garry called out Magny in the Octagon after beating Daniel Rodriguez with a head kick knockout. Getting name dropped isn’t anything new for Magny. He expects rising fighters to call him out, and so when Machado Garry said his name, he wasn’t surprised.
“Guys see it as an opportunity,” Magny said. “They see a ranked opponent willing to fight anyone, any day, any place.”
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But Machado Garry was offered Neal instead. So when the UFC came calling that Neal was out of the fight, it was the perfect storm for both Magny, who wants to teach Machado Garry a lesson, and Machado Garry, who initially wanted to fight Magny.
“The best way to describe it is that it’s like a dog barking on the other side of the fence,” Magny said. “The dog is just barking over and over. Then the gate on the fence is open and then the dog doesn’t actually want to come near you. The dog realizes it doesn’t want the smoke. That’s what it’s going to be like.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to be the toughest opponent he’s ever faced. It’s not just based on what’s on paper. It’s just me physically and mentally knowing what I’m capable of. I’m going to be the toughest opponent he’s ever faced and he’s going to realize that on Saturday night.”
Beating an undefeated fighter like Machado Garry, who comes with a lot of hype, would certainly help Magny get back to fighting the top tier at welterweight. He’s already competed with a handful of fighters in the top ten, but he hasn’t been able to complete that run to true title contention.
He believes adding a short notice win on a big stage would be the perfect way to prove that he’s ready to get over that roadblock.
“A huge win against Ian with a finish actually propels my career a lot further and it sets me up for a top ten opponent and possibly a top five opponent for the end of the year,” Magny said. “So going out there and getting the job done on Saturday night is one of the most important things on my agenda right now and I feel like I’m in a great place to go out there and do it.”
And it’s just icing on the cake that he gets to do it against Machado Garry.
UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley took place live from TD Garden in Boston on August 19, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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