UFC welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry didn`t hold back in his response to the division`s newly crowned champion, Jack Della Maddalena.
Following his victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to claim the welterweight belt, Jack Della Maddalena made controversial comments regarding Ian Machado Garry`s son. The incident stemmed from an interaction during fight week where Garry`s son offered Maddalena candy. Maddalena later questioned Garry`s motives and even the paternity of his son, a remark seen as out of character for the usually composed fighter.
In an interview, Garry sharply criticized Maddalena`s comments. He described the initial candy gesture as a “playful joke” with a humorous undertone related to weight cutting and potential replacement scenarios. Garry stated that Maddalena`s subsequent remarks were “immature” and revealed a high level of sensitivity.
“It shows that he`s very sensitive because if he says something like that, which…that`s out of his character. It means that what I was doing on fight week irritated him enough to get him to say something like that,” Garry commented. He added, “Which means when I do fight him, I’m going to open a whole can of irritation, because I reckon he’s mentally weak and I can get in his head.”
This public exchange adds to existing tensions between the fighters. Earlier, Maddalena`s longtime coach had mocked Garry`s tendency for his fights to go the distance.
Meanwhile, Jack Della Maddalena is expected to face UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a potential super fight later this year, a matchup that has drawn criticism from some corners, including Chael Sonnen, who labeled Makhachev a “coward” for considering vacating his lightweight title rather than facing Ilia Topuria.
Gareth Tenby