Sean O’Malley didn’t pull any punches reviewing some of Ian Machado Garry’s greatest hits.
Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title this Saturday in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia, and he’s been doing plenty of media rounds, leading to numerous reactions to his interviews, both past and present. Makhachev accused Garry of putting on the facade of a “bad guy,” while recent UFC Belgrade winner Uros Medic blasted Garry for suggesting the world should be run by women.
In a YouTube reaction video, O’Malley decided to pile on, beginning with a clip from 2023 in which the Irishman claimed he was the main reason fans in Europe woke up to watch UFC 292, which was headlined by O’Malley knocking out Aljamain Sterling to become bantamweight champion.
“This just got personal,” O’Malley said. “The f*ck did you just say? You think people were waking up at 5 a.m. to watch you vs. f*cking—what was his name? The tall f*cking guy, lanky, we just talked about him. Neil Magny. I forgot his name!”
O’Malley, commenting mostly in jest, went on to address Garry’s “women should run the world” take, siding with Medic on the strange debate.
“I’m trying to process that,” O’Malley said. “‘If the world was ran by women, we’d live in a better world.’ I mean, could that be true? It sure could be. I wouldn’t let my wife run the world, ha! Would I run the world? Absolutely. I’d f*cking crush.”
“Should women run the world?” he added. “I’m actually having this thought process in my head right now. But I just can’t imagine president, woman; vice president, man. Just seems off. I think you should have a wiener to run the world.”
Another element of Garry’s persona that has drawn attention is his recent sponsorship with PETA in which he promotes a vegan lifestyle. O’Malley joked that the welterweight title challenger’s plant-based diet could hinder his chances of beating Makhachev.
“OK, that kind of sways my thought process on how this fight plays out a little bit, unfortunately,” O’Malley said. “I hate to think like that, but let’s carry on.”
“I do think this is going to be one of Islam’s toughest opponents,” he said later, referencing a video of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall breaking down the UFC 330 main event. “All those things Tom mentioned, range, length, he just judges distance really well. He’ll jab, back up, back up, he’s not going to engage. He’s not going to go sit in the pocket, plant his feet, throw a two-, three-piece combination, let Islam get under him. It’s going to be interesting.”
Even though O’Malley has concerns about where Garry is getting his protein from, he’s still picking him to upset MMA’s pound-for-pound king.
“With that all said, he is vegan, so I don’t know,” O’Malley said. “Part of me thinks that Islam could just grab ahold of him and snap him in half like a f*cking zucchini.
“But I don’t know, final prediction, I think Ian Garry’s going to win a decision. I don’t think it’s going to be the most exciting fight ever. I think there’s going to be some good back-and-forths, but I do think Ian Garry is is going to get the job done.”
Snubbed. Islam Makhachev predicts Ian Machado Garry is “not going to be my biggest challenge.”
Slight. Merab Dvalishvili isn’t letting Umar Nurmagomedov’s judgment of his RAF Georgia scuffle go unchecked.
Quadruple C. UFC CEO Dana White thinks Bella Mir could be a four-combat sport champion.
Psyche. Khabib Nurmagomedov once considered Conor McGregor to be his toughest fight from a mental standpoint.
Focus. Makhachev doesn’t understand Ilia Topuria celebrating before fateful loss to Justin Gaethje.
No Bets Barred. Jed Meshew and The Action Network’s Billy Ward break down the best bets for UFC 330, including whether it’s worth picking Ian Machado Garry to beat pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
The definitive fight week schedule.
Normal Johnny Walker things.
Charles Johnson (19-9) vs. Eduardo Chapolin (15-2); UFC 330, Aug. 15
Gerald Meerschaert (37-22) vs. Julius Walker (7-3); UFC Vegas 122, Oct. 10
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