You may have forgotten the time that Sean Strickland called Ian Machado Garry’s wife a ‘succubus’, but you better believe that Garry sure hasn’t. In a press conference leading up to this week’s UFC 298, Garry sidestepped discussing his upcoming opponent, Goff Neal, and instead dedicated some time to his personal feud with Strickland.
A Little Context First
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland sparked controversy last November by publicly criticizing the relationship between Garry and his wife, Lyla, labeling her a “succubus” due to their age difference and her previous marriage.
Lyla, who has authored a book titled “How to be a WAG,” focusing on how older women can attract young, athletic, and wealthy men, has come under scrutiny from both fans and Strickland. The latter expressed his concerns in a video, highlighting the peculiar aspects of their relationship, including the significant age gap, the fact that Garry took his wife’s last name, and the living arrangements with her ex-husband.
Lyla Garry responded to Strickland’s accusations by clarifying that her book, which is an 11-page audible-only story written in 2010, was meant as satire, describing it as a humorous take rather than a serious guide. This defense, however, seems to have done little to sway public opinion, which remains skeptical of her intentions.
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Ian Garry Still Mad
During the conference, Garry made it clear that if he’s able to beat Neal, he wants to target rivals Strickland and Colby Covington, specifically for both men targeting his wife all over the internet.
“Listen, we can shoot shots at each other all day long, me and another bloke, but here’s the two things I’ll point out — my wife was called a pedophile by Sean Strickland,” Garry said. “No woman ever deserves to be called that. My son, the people that follow Sean Strickland, commented on a couple of my photos at the start of all this saying, ‘Is the kid even his?’ I should never have to hear that. Those two things, they emotionally get me.”
“I’ll get mine back. I’ll thump the f****** mouth off Sean Strickland one day, and there will be nothing he can do about it. I’ll talk to him, I’ll dance in his face, I’ll do whatever I want, because the truth is when we get locked into that cage one day, he’s never going to be able to deal with me.”
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Sean Strickland, after publicly criticizing Ian Garry and his wife, engaged in a physical altercation with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 when du Plessis mentioned Strickland’s childhood abuse. Despite the confrontation, Strickland later emphasized that certain topics, such as families and children, should be considered off-limits for discussion.
However, Garry pointed out the inconsistency in that stance, as Strickland had targeted his own family. Garry has expressed his intention not to overlook Strickland’s actions, signaling ongoing tensions between the two fighters.
“The truth is, I have a target on my back,” Garry said. “I have the ability to stand here and shoot shots at anyone I want, because this is my job, and they have the opportunity in return. So for me, when you attack people in my circle where they don’t deserve it, that’s out of line. Look, Sean Strickland is not the f****** voice we should be listening to. He’s deeply, deeply indebted with trauma, and he should just be silent and try to deal with his own personal issues himself, and that’s where it mainly came from.”
“For sure, there’s no f****** man on the planet that talks about my wife or my family like that and doesn’t get it eventually. The truth is, he’s never going to be relevant again. He’s lost the belt. He’s lost the interest. There’s a point at which I’ll jump in on a short-notice fight, and I’ll dance all over him. I’m far too quick. I’m far too talented, and he’ll just be missing.”
Oh, and Garry wasn’t letting Covington off the hook either.
“I want to beat Geoff Neal in spectacular fashion this weekend, then I’m going to fight Colby Covington, and I’m going to retire him, and I’m going to rid the clown from the UFC,” Garry said. “Then I’ll take someone [ranked] three, two or one in the world, I’ll beat them, and I’ll earn my title shot next year.”
“I think [Colby] has no other choice. When I beat Geoff Neal on Saturday, there’s only one choice, and it’s what I say.”
