Dubliner Ian Machado Garry might get his want of a excessive profile bout with former a number of time welterweight title challenger Colby Covington, in keeping with experiences.
Garry, an ideal 15-0 (8-0 UFC) in his profession up to now, has been petitioning UFC brass for a showdown with rival 170-pounder Covington for a while now, initially calling out the American wrestler for a bout this previous summer time at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. Covington, although, who was reportedly nursing a foot harm sustained in his unsuccessful bid to say the title from then-champ Leon Edwards final December, has to date no indicated a powerful need to face the Irishman within the cage.
That may be about to vary, nonetheless.
In line with a report by The Sporting News, which cites sources contained in the UFC, the organisation’s matchmakers are in search of to pair Garry and Covington as headliners of the UFC’s return to Tampa, Florida on December 14.
The occasion, which is scheduled to happen at Tampa’s Amalie Enviornment, has but to have a important occasion connected to it with round 8 weeks till showtime — and with Garry ranked seventh, one place greater than Covington, the winner of the potential bout would possible transfer into the division’s high ten and place themselves in rivalry to face the winner of the title conflict between champ Belal Muhammad and the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov, which headlines December’s UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
Chatting with MMA Fighting earlier this 12 months, Garry expressed doubt that Covington would ever signal a contract to battle him, even after each males had engaged in some back-and-forths on social media.
“The reality is, I believe he’s simply avoiding me,” he mentioned. “I don’t suppose there’s anybody [thing]. He’s simply avoiding the battle as a result of he is aware of, ‘Ian Garry’s too harmful for me to step in that Octagon with, I’ll attempt to wait and discover another person.’
“I don’t know, sitting right here proper now, if I ever consider that he’ll settle for a battle with me. I believe Colby Covington seems to be at me and I believe he sees the top of his profession. A younger, gifted prospect, tremendous sharp, tremendous quick, tremendous sensible, and completely different to anybody else he’s ever fought. That’s scary if you’re on the latter finish of your profession and also you’re simply making an attempt to remain related and beat individuals who aren’t going to be world champions and aren’t going to be the perfect.”
