Ian Garry has been gaining a reputation as one of the cheekiest UFC stars, and his latest prank has taken things to another level. The Irishman left a pizza outside Daniel Rodriguez’s hotel door one day before their bout, causing quite a stir among UFC fans.
The two welterweights were scheduled to face each other on the main card of UFC Charlotte.
Garry, who was putting his unbeaten record on the line, is facing a tough challenge against a dangerous looking Rodriguez, who was in need of a bounce back after being submitted by Neil Magny.
On the eve of their weigh-in, Garry pulled off a very cheeky prank by leaving a large pizza at Rodriguez’s hotel door. The move left Rodriguez’s teammate Sasha Palatnikov confused and baffled, and it is currently unknown whether the two had a nibble or two on the pie.
However, the prank didn’t end there. Rodriguez missed weight, weighing in at 171.5lbs, half a pound over the agreed weight limit. He did manage to make 171lbs on his second try.
UFC fans have been split in their reactions to Garry’s prank. Some have found it hilarious, with one fan stating that they are becoming a bigger Ian Garry fan every time they see him. Others have called the prank “evil” and compared Garry’s mischievousness to that of Conor McGregor in college, pulling pranks on his opponents.
Despite the controversy, the bout is going ahead.
UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida will take place on May 13, 2023, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The event marks UFC’s fifth visit to Charlotte, the first since UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 in January 2018.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Jailton Almeida will be the main event instead of Anthony Smith vs. Johnny Walker, which was downgraded to a three-round co-main event.
Kim Ji-yeon vs. Mandy Böhm women’s flyweight bout is expected to take place after Böhm withdrew from their previous match due to illness.
Jake Matthews was replaced by Bryan Battle in the welterweight bout against Gabriel Green, with Battle weighing two pounds over the limit, resulting in a catchweight bout.
Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez’s lightweight bout was rescheduled from a previous event, but it was eventually scrapped due to Rodriguez’s weight management issues.
The women’s strawweight bout between Mackenzie Dern and Angela Hill, which was initially scheduled for the event, was moved back a week to headline UFC FN: Dern vs. Hill.