The upcoming UFC 296 showdown between Ian Garry and Vicente Luque promises an intense clash. An unexpected tension is brewing between the two welterweight contenders.
Despite their shared history as teammates at Kill Cliff FC and prior indications of friendship, recent events have unveiled an unforeseen rivalry.
The surprising incident took place when Luque (ranked No.10 in the welterweight category) shared a profound moment of personal faith on Instagram.
Posting images of his baptism, Luque captioned the heartfelt moment: “I have believed in Him and seen how much he has blessed me all my life. In the good moments and in the hard ones He always got me through and strengthen me. Now I walk in The Way as He guides me to His Kingdom! Thank you Jesus ☝🏼”
Despite the content of the message, Garry took advantage of the chance to poke fun at his rival. Responding to Luque’s post, Garry injected a provocative comment hinting at their impending face-off.
He commented: “December 16th he’ll be standing infront of you tall blonde and all powerful ❤️”
Prior to UFC 296 between Ian Garry and Vicente Luque, there seemed to be mutual respect between them. The two shared a post on Instagram together as soon as the match was announced.
Garry said: “This has nothing to do with an animosity. This has everything to do with respect and everything to do with wanting to be the best in the world… You want to be the best in the world. I want to be the best in the world. They’ve matched us together and you know what? Let’s dance, let’s go out there, let’s put on a f**king show and let’s have some fun.”
He added: “We have a job to do and we love what we do. Enjoy the camp, enjoy training and I will see you December 16th. Let’s go have some f**king fun and no matter what, I owe you food afterwards because of that submission so I still owe you dinner.”
Previously characterized by mutual respect and a shared pursuit of excellence, the relationship between Garry and Luque took an unexpected turn. Contrary to their earlier displays of mutual admiration and camaraderie, the atmosphere leading to UFC 296 is now charged with an unforeseen undercurrent of tension and rivalry.