The mixed martial arts community has witnessed a new wave of controversy as Sean Strickland targeted Irish up-and-comer Ian Garry. Garry, hailed as the ‘Next Conor McGregor,’ has become a subject of Strickland’s critique, causing ripples in the MMA world.
Sean Strickland has positioned himself as an arbiter of toughness and masculinity. His latest target is Ian Garry, a promising talent from Ireland who bears the weight of being dubbed the ‘Next Conor McGregor.’ Strickland’s outspoken words have set the MMA community abuzz.
Strickland cast judgment on Garry in a podcast appearance. In a straightforward manner, he labeled Garry a “beta male,” citing his decision to adopt his wife’s married name as the basis for this assessment. Strickland’s exact words were, “I don’t like the Irish guy, because he’s a f**king beta male. Didn’t he take his girl’s last name? Yeah, he took his girl’s last name.”
In addition to categorizing Garry as a beta male, Strickland also offered his take on Garry’s forthcoming bout against Neil Magny at UFC 292. Strickland didn’t hold back, expressing his hope that Garry would lose. “So, Ian Garry, I think you’re gonna win. But you’re a f**king simp, bro and I f**king hope you don’t,” Strickland stated.
Strickland wasn’t the only one that criticized Garry for his choice. Dillon Danis, in response to Ireland’s Ian Garry’s recent UFC win, appeared to mock Garry for taking his wife’s surname after getting married in 2022.
Garry’s surname was changed to ‘Machado,’ which was his wife Layla’s last name. This change was made to align the family’s names since Layla and her son from a previous marriage also have ‘Machado’ in their names, ensuring a sense of unity within the family.
Megan Olivi explained the name change, stating that it was meant to create a shared family name among all members.
Dillon Danis took to social media to question Irish fans whether it bothers them that Ian Garry adopted his wife’s last name.
Despite the social media jab, Ian Garry had a dominant performance against his opponent Neil Magny at UFC 292 in Boston, positioning himself for a potential title fight in 2024.