Conor McGregor has long been considered the greatest Irish MMA fighter in history, but he may have competition.
The legendary two-weight world champion is the only Irishman to have ever challenged for the belt, let alone won it multiple times, but his legacy will be pursued by Ian Machado Garry, the top-ten ranked welterweight who defeated Michael “Venom” Page last night.
And Garry took a big step in that direction with his recent win at UFC 303, extending his undefeated record to 15-0. He has already followed in his idol’s footsteps by winning gold at Cage Warriors and now sits ahead of McGregor as the challenger before winning UFC gold in 2015.
Ian Machado Garry breaks Conor McGregor’s long-standing UFC record
Garry’s win over MVP at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was his eighth under the UFC banner and his 15th overall. After a lengthy amateur career, the Irishman achieved a 7-0 record with Cage Warriors, winning the welterweight belt in the process, before signing with MMA’s top promotion in 2021.
And Irish MMA statistician Andy Hickey noted on social media today that Garry’s victory gave him the longest winning streak by an Irish fighter in the promotion. McGregor won seven in a row before being knocked out by Nate Diaz at UFC 196, including two featherweight title victories over Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Those victories began with a win over Marcus Brimmage in his debut before being forced to retire through injury following a victory over future star Max Holloway. He bounced back by defeating Diego Brandao in a historic home outing in Dublin before knocking out Dustin Poirier and Denis Siver.
He was then scheduled to face Aldo for the belt at UFC 189, but when the Brazilian pulled out with a rib injury, he was replaced by Mendes. McGregor knocked him out in the second round and eventually dethroned Aldo at UFC 194 before losing a short-notice fight to Diaz.
Garry has taken a slower route to the top of the welterweight division, gradually climbing the rankings during his three-year stint, debuting against Jordan Williams before defeating Darian Weeks and Gabe Green in his first three fights.
He then faced Kenan Song, who knocked him down with a heavy punch before eventually losing by TKO in the third round. Garry then stopped Daniel Rodriguez in the first round before a series of rematches with Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, which he won by decision before facing MVP.
Ian Machado Garry plans to become one of the greatest of all time
Part of what makes Garry so controversial is his incredible confidence, which fans perceive as cockiness. And at last night’s post-fight press conference, he continued to talk about his potential, claiming that he plans to eventually enter the UFC’s “GOAT” discussion.
“I’m on my way to my destiny to be one of the greatest of all time,” Garry said. “I’m going to achieve that by any means necessary, and I don’t care how it’s done. In 10 years, my name will be in that GOAT conversation.”
“Who is the greatest of all time? They’ll say Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Ian Machado Garry. I’ll put my name in this discussion because it’s opinion based.
“If you’re Brazilian, say Anderson Silva. If you’re American, maybe say Jon Jones. We could all sit here and give our opinions. As long as my name comes up in this conversation, I’ve had a successful career.”
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