Ian Machado Garry has criticized former title contender Colby Covington for “avoiding him like the plague” ahead of UFC 310 this weekend.
Garry also revealed his path to the two-division team Champion, a feat first achieved by .
The 27-year-old was a last-minute replacement at UFC 310 for Belal Muhammad, who waswith Shavkat Rakhmonov after a grotesque bone infection.
Muhammad, who won the welterweight title for the first time by defeating Birmingham UFC 304 was originally scheduled to fight Rakhmonov in the main event.
However, due to his injury, Garry was called up and will now face Rakhmonov, with the winner expected to face Muhammad next year.
On his way to the top of the UFC welterweight rankings, Garry has feuded back and forth with many of his division rivals.
He was originally scheduled to face Joaquin Buckley on December 14th at a UFC Fight Night card in Tampa, Florida, but the latter will now face former title contender Covington.
Garry has said numerous times that he wants to be the man to send Covington into retirement, which is the case in gross call-out videos this year.
“How do you think I feel?” Garry said it Ariel Helwaniwhen asked if Covington had intervened to fight Buckley.
“Because I screamed and screamed because I fought that man from the rafters. This man made videos about me, my wife and my children.”
“He's been talking all this crap and here's this man avoiding me like the plague.
“And the second I go up against the scariest man in the division, he says, 'Oh, I'm going to fight in Florida.' It just shows he's a coward. That he doesn't want anything to do with me.
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“And the truth is, I know I’ve already beaten him. I know I've already beaten him mentally.
“He is weak. He is an absolute coward. And I think he’s going to go out and get steamrolled by Joaquin Buckley.”
If Garry beats Rakhmonov, he would be in prime position to win the world title against Muhammad.
But the task ahead of him is certainly not an easy one, considering that his Kazakh opponent is unbeaten in 18 professional games Fights.
“Nomad” made his UFC debut in October 2020 and has defeated all but one of his opponents via rear naked or guillotine choke.
In his last Octagon appearance, Rakhmonov made easy work of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, handing the American his first submission loss in his 12-year UFC career.
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However, Garry is a former one Champion and is also undefeated in all 15 of his professional MMA fights.
He followed in McGregor's footsteps when he was crowned Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion in 2021 and is looking to repeat another performance from The Notorious.
“I'm a little boy who dreamed of being here, who wanted to see my face on billboards, who wanted to put on shows against the scariest people in the world,” Garry added.
“I've told you before what my ideal scenario is: I fight and beat Shavkat, I win the world title, I move up to middleweight, I fight Khamzat [Chimaev] I'll win the belt too!
“I'm not afraid of any man. I know how talented I am. I know the gifts God has given me.”
McGregor became the first UFC fighter to hold championships in two weight classes simultaneously when he was eliminated in 2016.
is currently the No. 3 ranked UFC middleweight but will soon fight for the title about Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
“Here’s my ideal scenario,” Garry said. “I’m going out on December 7th and taking Shavkat out early.”
“I escaped unscathed and uninjured. I get on the mic, sit down and say, “Hey, I could wait until next year when Belal Muhammad comes back.” Or Dana [White]hunter [Campbell]UFC, I could walk my ass all the way to Florida.
“And I could beat Coby Covington for 25 minutes. And I can prove how good I am – next week. Because this man talks a lot but isn't willing to acknowledge it. That would be my deal.
“I would like to beat Shavkat and…bury him the following week and leave him dead and finished in this octagon, never to be seen again.”
Garry went on to say that for him his fight with Shavkat is “essentially a world title fight,” adding that he wants to “make a statement” to the rest of the MMA community.
Alexandre Pantoja against debutant Kai Asakura in the main event of UFC 310, Alexander Volkov determines the No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division.
Two former Title rivals Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith will share the octagon for the main preliminary rounds.
And former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling challenges unbeaten Russian Movsar Evloev.
The main card of UFC 310 kicks off live from the T-Mobile Arena at 3am GMT this Sunday for UK fans and will be broadcast on .
Early prelims begin at 11 p.m. on UFC Fight pass, with prelims beginning at 1 a.m.
