Gilbert Burns praises Ian Machado Garry's performance at UFC 303, highlighting his grappling skills and potential. Despite criticism, Burns believes Garry, at 26, is a rising star in the division. The article delves into their training insights, Garry's future matchups, and Burns' upcoming fight.
Gilbert Burns believes Ian Machado Garry is the real deal, and he wants everyone to know it. Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) put on a stellar performance against Michael Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in the UFC 303 main card opener, earning a unanimous decision victory at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last Saturday.
Despite some criticism over his grappling-heavy approach, Garry's strategy received high praise from Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC). The Irishman faced a dangerous striker in Page and chose a smart game plan to showcase his improvements. "I think in that fight, he wanted to showcase his improvements – and that’s the best way to show your improvements in the grappling, especially against someone dangerous in the striking," Burns said on Morning Kombat.
At just 26 years old, Garry has already shown remarkable potential. Burns noted, "He showed a lot of improvements in his grappling. This guy is only 26. He showed a lot of potential. He has dangerous striking with good IQ, and his jiu-jitsu is getting better and better."
Having trained with both Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov at Kill Cliff FC, Burns provided some insights into their sparring sessions. "I think he’s very tough," Burns said of Garry. "He’s scrappy. He’s getting so much better. I even remember those sessions with Shavkat. On the feet, he was doing very good. It was just getting way harder when Shavkat was taking him down. But now, he’s putting a lot of emphasis on his grappling."
Burns is confident in Garry's future. "People are still doubting him, but he’s that good. People should start believing a little bit more in the guy. He’s only 26. The guy’s confidence is very good, very high IQ, works very hard, crazy gas tank, good volume. I think he’s going to do super well with a lot of the guys in the division."
While Burns has a great relationship with Garry, he's open to fighting him if they get matched up. Garry called out Shavkat Rakhmonov after his win, hinting at an exciting future matchup. Meanwhile, Burns is set to face Sean Brady in a UFC Fight Night main event on September 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Read more here.