ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ian Gary wants to be the one to get rid of the “clutter.”
Gary scored a very forgettable win last night at UFC 298 (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024) when he defeated Jeff Neal by split decision inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
After his seventh UFC win and third straight opponent, “The Future” called out Colby Covington during his in-ring interview and threatened to retire.
Watch the call below:
During the post-fight press conference at UFC 298, Gary explained why he wanted to fight Covington.
“I'm going to go out there and beat Colby Covington like we've never seen it before,” Gary said. “The truth is, Colby's biggest claim to fame is that he's fought for three world titles, and lost all three. He's not as good as people think he is. If you get beaten by a young, talented, up-and-coming guy, who's one of the best players we've ever seen, you're not going to come back from that.” “I'll match him for speed in cardio, I'll match him for performance. He doesn't have anywhere near the power that Jeff Neal has. He's got great, great wrestling. Put me on my back, see what happens if you put me on my back. I'll choke him unconscious. I promise I'll finish that “The journey. I'm going to end that journey, and rid the UFC of Colby Covington once and for all, as if it had to be done. I'm tired of his bullshit, he's a piece of shit.”
While Jarry vs. Covington makes sense, there's a good chance Covington will decline the challenge. However, Gary said MMAMania.com That “chaos” has no choice.
“He has no choice. He has lost his last three title matches,” Gary said. “There's no other option for him. Who else are they going to put in? He's not going to sign to fight wrestlers that's for sure. He's not going to fight Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, what's the point of putting them together? He's going to do what the king told him and fight a young up-and-comer so I can take him out.” From the division and removing him from the top 15…I don't think he's in a position to have his fights picked and chosen. Now if he wants to fight, he'll do what he's told. And I'm sure Hunter [Campbell] And Dana [White] I will tell him that.”
Of course, a fight with Covington comes with annoying personal trash talk, but Gary won't be bothered, especially since he's been harassed non-stop by fans over the past few months.
“Let him write his script. Let him do the panto. Let him do it, let him do everything. I'll punch him in the face,” Gary said. “He can talk about me, my wife, my family, my kids, he can talk about whatever he wants. He got the permit because he was going to sign the contract. As long as he shows up as a man, I'll punch him in the mouth. “And I hope I hit him so hard he can't speak again.”
Gary is 7-0 in the UFC and is riding a 14-fight unbeaten streak.
For complete UFC 298 results, coverage and features, click through here.
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