Ian Machado Garry Will Get Shot at Joaquin Buckley Instead of Colby Covington
Ian Garry did whatever he could to get a fight for Colby Covington. Garry, who is an excellent showman, wanted to try and get in a back-and-forth with the former welterweight challenger. But Covington hasn’t fought since losing to Leon Edwards in a challenge for the belt last December.
Garry will headline UFC Tampa Bay next month and didn’t want to wait any longer to start preparing for his opponent. The MMAfighting latest news shows that Joaquin Buckley will be the next challenger on his schedule. Buckley is one of the hottest fighters in the division right now.
Buckley has won three straight fights and most recently knocked out former title challenger Stephen Thompson. Garry has designs on eventually challenging for the championship. Beating a fighter like Buckley will be a good boost to Garry’s resume.
Why Did Garry Want to Fight Covington?
Covington is a notorious trash talker. When Covington reinvented himself as a fighter who criticized other fighters for not meeting his definition of manhood, Garry popped up on his radar. There has been way too much MMA breaking news detailing Garry’s relationship with his wife.
I am not sure why so many people are fascinated by this story. Without going too far into the rumors, Garry’s wife still maintains a relationship with her ex-husband. The exact nature of that relationship is unclear, nor does it really matter.
However, Covington has used this to criticize Garry in an attempt to get him to commit to a fight. However, it’s unclear if Covington actually wants to fight again or not. Covington hasn’t fought more than one in a year since 2019.
When Covington was given an opportunity to fight Edwards for the championship, it came with heavy criticism because people felt that Covington was unworthy.
Garry is on Collision Course for Title Shot
Garry has taken up the mantle of the UFC’s top Irish star. But taking things to the next level and reaching Conor McGregor’s level of success will require a lot of work for Garry. While Garry has impressed with his strong striking and 15-0 record, he hasn’t produced that one memorable moment yet in the UFC.
Garry’s last three fights have gone the distance. The best MMA news sites show just being a great talker won’t win over all of the sport’s fanbase. Garry needs to put together a highlight-reel stoppage or two in order to back up the talk. During Garry’s time in the UFC, he has knocked out three of his eight opponents.
Buckley Could Bring Out the Best in Garry
Buckley’s climbing so high in the UFC rankings at welterweight required him to go back down to welterweight. Middleweight wasn’t a good fit for Buckley, who is short for the division at 5-foot-8. Buckley has responded well to the return to the welterweight division, winning five straight fights.
Buckley taking the fight against Garry represents what has been an active year. When Buckley makes the walk to the cage against Garry, it will be his fourth fight of the year.
He has gone 3-0 so far, including knockout wins over Thompson and Vicente Luque. While Buckley has six losses in his career, he is a powerful puncher who can make anyone’s life miserable.
Is Garry a Good Matchup for Buckley?
Yes. Garry should be pleased to have the opportunity to fight Buckley. While Garry isn’t known for his power punching, he is seven inches taller than Buckley. Buckley must come forward and try to get in the pocket to fight Garry.
This will provide Garry with plenty of windows to try and unleash some powerful strikes on Buckley’s way in. This is the type of matchup that could produce a memorable finish for Garry. Buckley is ranked No. 9 in the division and will be a good matchup for Garry, who is No. 7.
What is Garry’s Path to a Title?
Garry, 26, has the benefit of having time on his side. Right now, the welterweight division is going through some turmoil. Because of the injury to Belal Muhammad, there is likely going to be an interim title fight scheduled between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman. The rest of the fights ahead of Garry are in weird spots.
No. 1 contender Leon Edwards lost his belt to Muhammad in a decisive decision earlier this year. There doesn’t seem to be too much of a push to give Edwards another chance at the belt.
The No. 4 ranked contender, Jack Della Maddalena, is on a long winning streak and has plenty of power. Sean Brady, who is ranked fifth, only has one loss in his career, but it was a knockout loss to Muhammad.
Garry likely will have to win two more fights in order to fight for the belt. If he can beat Buckley, Garry would likely be paired with someone in the top five to put him in a position to become champion.
Will a Fight with Covington Ever Happen?
Covington is ranked sixth in the division, despite not having fought in nearly a year. Garry is an active fighter who has plenty of energy. If Garry beats Buckley, he should disregard Covington entirely.Covington is near the end of his career and doesn’t appear too interested in fighting again. While there may be some money to be made if the fight does happen, it is unlikely the Covington would trouble Garry all that much. Covington isn’t a powerful striker, and Garry should be able to improve his takedown defense to protect against Covington’s wrestling-heavy style.
Garry has legitimate star potential. He shouldn’t waste that by trying to get into a battle with a fighter who looked poor in his last outing and was never able to win a unified title.
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
By Dean McHugh.
