Ian Machado Garry had nothing but compliments for Islam Makhachev ahead of their main event fight at UFC 330. Still, the Irish welterweight didn’t experience that same level of gratitude from the Philadelphia crowd at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
From the first time he touched the microphone, Garry was showered in boos from the raucous crowd in attendance. He tried not to play into it too much, but he also fired back with his prediction for how the fans would treat him after Saturday night.
“Saturday night that belt’s wrapped around my waist and every single one of you is going to change,” Garry shouted. “It’s going to be ‘let’s go Garry’ chants, I love you, too.”
While he never really got into any kind of back-and-forth with Makhachev during the press conference, Garry had plenty to say about the crowd as he repeatedly shouted down whenever he tried to speak.
Through it all, Garry kept a smile on his face, but he also made sure to let the fans know that nothing was truly bothering him no matter what was being said on stage.
“I couldn’t give a f*ck,” Garry said about his reception from the crowd. “I couldn’t care less. My little boy is here laughing and smiling and making faces. I’m living the dream. Islam is here. I get to show up on Saturday night and fight for a world title.
“I dreamt of this moment when I was a 16-year-old kid. I dreamt of being a UFC fighter. I dreamt of having the ability to fight for a UFC world title. This weekend on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, all of my dreams come true, and nobody can take that away from me.”
For his part, Makhachev received the exact opposite reaction from the crowd with incredibly loud cheers whenever he spoke. While there was no real animosity towards Garry during the press conference, he did offer his opinion on why his opponent was given such an icy reception from the Philadelphia faithful.
“No, I’m not surprised [they are booing him],” Makhachev said. “I know. Nobody likes Ian Garry, myself also. Because people are confused which country you represent. Brazil or Ireland? People don’t know. People know who they have to support.”
When someone asked about Makhachev carrying on the legacy started by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Garry chimed in by saying that the legendary coach from Dagestan would be proud of all he’s achieved.
But Makhachev had no interest in hearing Garry’s opinion on his first-ever coach, who sadly passed away back in 2020, or what he might think about everything that’s been achieved by his team over the past few years.
“Shut up,” Makhachev said to Garry.
Garry is likely going to receive a similar reception when he walks into the arena on Saturday night as he attempts to pull off the upset to become champion, while Makhachev attempts to break Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive wins in UFC history with 17 in a row while also seeking his first title defense as welterweight champion.