UFC president Dana White was thoroughly impressed with Irish welterweight Ian Garry’s performance at UFC Charlotte this weekend. Garry took his undefeated record to 12-0 with a thunderous knockout victory over Daniel “D-Rod” Rodriguez, and the promotion’s head honcho addressed Garry’s future with the UFC at the post-fight press conference.
“He looked awesome tonight. Obviously, he fought a guy very durable, dangerous, and a prospect in his own right. That’s why we build these types of cards, especially the main events.
Dana White: UFC To Follow “Irish Guy Blueprint” With Ian Garry
He looked awesome tonight. He’s super confident, and that kid’s ready to take over the world. Came back and talked to him tonight, and he’s down for whatever, whenever, wherever. He’s fun.”
White continued, making a not-so-subtle reference to Garry’s boyhood hero, Irish UFC superstar Conor McGregor. White plans on following the “Irish guy blueprint” for Garry, mimicking McGregor’s meteoric rise to the top of the fight game.
“You know what he said to us tonight? He said, ‘I want to beat all the top guys in the top 10. I want to beat all the guys in the top 5. I want to make sure there’s no question that when I fight for the title that people know I deserve it.’ That’s a fun guy. He’s fun. We have the Irish guy blueprint around here. So, we’ll probably take him to Boston, or MSG, and then eventually Ireland if he keeps doing what he’s doing.”
The UFC’s next event in Boston will take place this August. The UFC are scheduled for a pay-per-view event in the East Coast city, as well as a subsequent return to New York City.
Garry took minimal damage in the Rodriguez fight, and will more than likely be ready to return to action in three months’ time. It’s likely that Garry, with his show-stopping performance against Daniel Rodriguez, will square off against an elite welterweight at either, or both, of these events.
Potential opponents for Garry include Michael Chiesa, Jack Della Maddalena, and Michel Pereira, all of whom have open schedules at the moment. It’s clear that Garry wants to leave no stone unturned in his quest for UFC gold, and Irish fans may well have a new flag-bearer to root for in the Dublin native.
All Garry needs to do to capitalize on his growing profile is continue winning in spectacular fashion. It worked for one Irishman, so why not for another?
