“Heartbroken”: Ian Garry on Missing Opportunity to Represent Ireland Alongside Conor McGregor at UFC 303

Even a few weeks ago, Ian Garry felt like he was living the dream. With him being on the card for UFC 303, it was the perfect opportunity for the 26-year-old to represent Ireland alongside his idol Conor McGregor. However, with ‘Mystic Mac’ pulling out of the card at the last minute citing an injury, Garry was left completely broken-hearted.

A few days before his big fight against Michael ‘Venom’ Page, Ian Garry joined Ariel Helwani for an interview on ‘The MMA Hour’ podcast. During the conversation, Helwani asked Garry if he was upset about not being able to be on the same card as Conor McGregor, to which the 26-year-old replied, saying,

“Good, obviously good and heart broken. There are two sides to it, there is the super fan, the kid that has been completely invested in Conor in everything that he did. And there is my fighting career and everything that I am. The emotional part of me is like f**k. I was so excited to represent Ireland on the biggest stage alongside him. It’s something I have been dreaming of. It would have been a full circle moment.”

Ian Garry stated that he was looking forward to raising the Irish flag with Conor McGregor at UFC 303. However, from a professional point of view, he was happy that McGregor pulled out as he believed that the world deserved to see McGregor at his very best and a freak injury should not malign his much-awaited return.

Interestingly, in the same interview, Garry predicted that McGregor would be back to compete in the UFC before the end of this year. Hence, he will be the one responsible for raising the Irish flag high till then.

Ian Garry to raise the Irish flag in Conor McGregor’s absence at UFC 303?

Garry is currently ranked seventh in the UFC’s welterweight division and will be taking on newcomer Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303. A win against Page will put Garry in serious contention for a title shot at 170 pounds. However, it will be easier said than done since Page is a veteran in the game and one of the best strikers in the sport.

 

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Ahead of the fight, Garry blasted Page for not being able to win gold in Bellator. He believes that since ‘Venom’ was not able to find success at Bellator, he will also fall short in the UFC. In fact, the Irishman is supremely confident that he can get the job done in style and raise the Irish flag with pride at UFC 303.