Ian Machado Garry was stunned when he heard Michael Web page’s prediction for his or her bout at UFC 303.
It’s a giant welterweight matchup happening on the principle card at T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas, with the winner placing their identify on the shortlist for title consideration. Whereas the fighters have mentioned wanting the combat to be 5 rounds as a substitute of three, Web page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) sees the bout ending early.
“MVP” just lately advised MMA Junkie that he expects to start out the combat off quick by touchdown properly throughout the first two minutes of the combat, which is able to result in an early knockout. Whereas complimentary of Web page’s kickboxing model, Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) scoffed on the prediction.
“He thinks it’s going to be a two-minute combat? I wager you he throws three pictures in two minutes,” Garry advised MMA Junkie. “I wager you he’s tremendous cautious and he’s tremendous cautious as a result of he is aware of how harmful I’m. I wager you he’s going to be sh*tting himself, and he’s going to be frozen. He’s going to do his silly handwork, his footwork, he’s going to try this as a result of what he needs is reactions. He needs me to react. He needs me to open up or attempt to do one thing.
“I assure you – go watch the second combat he had with Douglas Lima and watch what number of pictures he threw within the first two and a half minutes. I do know. Two. He’s going to be very, very related, and he ain’t going to knock me out. He ain’t going to the touch me. He ain’t going to complete me. He’s going to be swimming. I’m going to utterly dominate him in each means, form, and type bodily potential.”
Coming off a break up determination win over Geoff Neal in February through which he wanted to be affected person to keep away from his opponent’s energy, Garry is assured that the identical self-discipline pays dividends within the combat in opposition to a tough striker like Web page. The 2 opponents are very completely different offensively, however Garry is concentrated on ensuring he doesn’t get lulled into taking part in Web page’s video games.
“This combat, in my thoughts, it’s going to be an additional distance, and each of us are going to attempt to meet in that distance the place he needs me to come back in, or I would like him to come back in, and I believe it’s simply going to be a recreation of tug-of-war,” Garry mentioned. “Who’s going to enter that no man’s land? Who’s going to take step one? I genuinely don’t see a world the place it’s ‘MVP.’”
If profitable at UFC 303, Garry doesn’t need to deviate from his plans for a title shot. A powerful win over a fan-favorite fighter like Web page may vault him right into a title shot, however Garry maintains he needs to stay to his plan and get yet another combat whereas the remainder of the division shakes out on the high, as he sees Shavkat Rakhmonov up subsequent for the title.
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 303.
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