Ian Garry Opens Up About Confrontation with Sean Strickland

So, Ian Machado Garry, he’s got this sort of mixed bag of feelings about UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland. On one side, Garry’s itching to make Strickland own up to all that stuff he’s been saying. But on the flip side, Garry kinda thinks Strickland might just need a good, old-fashioned hug.

On Monday, Garry threw his two cents in about Strickland’s recent jabs at him and his wife, Layla Machado Garry. He also spilled the beans on his side of a run-in they had at the UFC Performance Institute – something Strickland’s been yapping about in his usual style.

Garry put it like this on The MMA Hour: “I’d call it a scene,” he said. “It was more like we exchanged a look, Strickland got shuffled into an elevator, and that was about it. Dude had this smirk on his face, and I hollered something at him. Can’t remember exactly what, but something flew out of my mouth before I could even think. My body just went straight into fight mode, then boom, the doors shut. Honestly, it wasn’t much.”

Strickland’s take was pretty much in line with Garry’s. He admitted that UFC guys stopped anything more physical from going down with the standout welterweight, whom he called a “f****** cuck” and a “f****** funny little dweeb.” In his typical fashion, the middleweight champ mixed up insults with these backhanded compliments, saying he kinda likes Garry but thinks he’s “a dumbass f****** kid who got lucky with a girl way outta his league, and it messed him up.”

As Garry saw it, his gut reaction to Strickland at the UFC PI was, let’s just say, less than friendly. He’s not sure what would’ve gone down if they’d gotten closer, but one thing’s for sure – throwing punches wasn’t on his agenda. “I would’ve definitely talked to him, for sure,” Garry mentioned. “I mean, I’m not gonna start throwing hands at the guy. I like to think I’m above all that trash talk and just be like, ‘Man, I feel sorry for you. Sorry that you’re so hurt inside that you gotta lash out at everyone else.’”

Later on, Garry addressed Strickland’s emotional chat with Theo Von. He pointed out the irony in Strickland saying talking about child abuse is off-limits while going after him and his family.

If Garry had one message to hammer home, it’s that Strickland’s behavior is way more than just tasteless – it’s plain wrong. “Look, I don’t care what went down in his childhood, or what’s made him the way he is now,” Garry said. “What I do care about is this – you don’t get to unload your pain on other folks or their families just because you can’t deal with it right. The UFC PI has mental health resources. Go use them. Talk it out, let it go, ’cause attacking other people’s loved ones just ’cause you got childhood issues ain’t fair. It’s just not done. You don’t have a right to hurt others just ’cause you’re hurting.”

Garry’s done a lot of thinking about Strickland and the negative vibes thrown at him and his family. Sure, it’s been rough, but it’s part of moving forward positively. For him, that means eventually making Strickland answer for his words in the octagon. But for now, he suggests Strickland might wanna find a new way to hype up fights, seeing as he’s already getting a taste of his own medicine with all the toxic talk.

“Just don’t go around talking about people like that,” Garry said. “Sort out your own stuff first. And if I were in the business of throwing stones, I’d make damn sure my own house was in order before starting to chuck them at others.”