Nearly five years ago, Conor McGregor planted an acorn at Madison Square Garden, and now the Irish MMA community is witnessing the growth of a powerful oak tree with the emergence of rising star Ian Garry.
It was always an inevitability. McGregor’s soaring triumph on November 12, 2016, in which he became the first ever double champion in UFC history, would onset a wave of budding Irish fighters looking to emulate their countryman’s journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the bright lights of the UFC.
But for Ian Garry’s mother, the notion of her son being swept up by McGregor mania did not sit well, and she spelt out her feelings to her ambitious son in a letter, pleading for him not to take up MMA.
Conor McGregor’s soaring UFC success has inspired a new wave of fighters from Ireland
‘Ian, taking a year out to figure out what you’re going to do is stupid,’ Garry’s mother warned her then 19-year-old son as he opted to snub university to chance his arm at combat sports.
‘I will not support someone who gives up on themselves and takes the easy way out. Being the next Conor McGregor is not a f***ing plan!’
What has followed is nothing short of a remarkable journey to the biggest stage MMA has to offer – the UFC.
Garry’s record of seven wins and no defeats has resulted in huge hype surrounding the Dubliner nicknamed ‘The Future’, with many hopeful that the 23-year-old will be Ireland’s first MMA superstar in the post-McGregor era.
Ian Garry (right) met McGregor (left) in 2014 and was inspired to take up mixed martial arts
And for good reason, too. The welterweight is a dangerous striker, whose maturity inside the Octagon defies his tender years.
The Future boasts an array of devastating weapons, and has floored a handful of rivals with thunderous kicks to back up his heavy combinations.
He has the skillset to mix things up as well, having submitted Mateusz Figlak in his second pro fight as well as putting Jack Grant in real danger on the ground during their Cage Warriors title fight earlier this year.
Making it to the UFC is an ambition of an array of talents from across the world, but Garry is not content to rest on his laurels after earning his big move.
The 23-year-old has left Ireland for Florida, where he has linked up with renouned gym Sanford MMA – the home to the likes of Michael Chandler, Robbie Lawlor and Vincente Luque.
Garry has made it to the UFC and has been tipped to emulate McGregor and hit superstardom
More pertinently, Garry will have the wise counsel in his corner that can help him make the transition from Cage Warriors to the UFC.
Legendary trainer Henri Hooft will be in his corner for Saturday’s fight against Jordan Williams. Hooft has taken Kamaru Usman, Luke Rockhold and Rashad Evans to UFC championships, and will hope that he can add Garry to his list of champions.
‘The move has been really easy,’ Garry told talkSPORT. ‘I’ve been welcomed in with open arms on the mats, to the coaches, the teammates have been amazing.
‘Already I have learned a lot and I can already see the potential for so much more.
‘The guys I am surrounded by here are the elite of the elite, so it’s only going to benefit myself to throw myself in the fire with the best guys in the UFC and the best guys in Bellator, just some of the best fighters on the planet.
‘Also, if you look at the coaching staff, they’re elite and they’re absolutely amazing, and just to pick up little, small technical tweaks that can change my game and make it better is amazing.’
We have been treated to some big UFC debuts in the past year, with Khamzat Chimaev and Paddy Pimblett establishing themselves as emerging fan-favourites with sensational showings inside the Octagon.
And Garry is relishing the pressure cast upon his shoulders, insisting that he will not buckle under the weight of expectations as he embarks on his UFC journey.
‘I embrace the pressure, any hype about me is there for a reason, it’s there because I’ve showed up everytime, I’ve backed up what I’ve said and put on a show and made a statement and now I have this hype behind me.
‘Hype or pressure doesn’t bother me. If anyone tells you Ian Garry is a savage it probably came full circle back to me, I probably was the one that started it.’
Under the bright lights of Maddison Square Garden, The Future bids to make his mark on the biggest stage.
What better place to make a statement than the venue of Ireland’s greatest ever MMA feat.
