Machado Garry: Online Hate Vanishes When Fans Meet Him

Ian Machado Garry has taken plenty of abuse from MMA fans, but the Irish welterweight says it happens almost entirely online. Ahead of his title fight with Islam Makhachev, he described a sharp gap between the comments he reads and the way people treat him face to face.

"The way fighters are treated online is completely fake," Garry said in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA. "I have had hate campaigns, but I get nothing but love, cuddles and admiration when I meet people in person. It's a pantomime. It's completely fake. I don't pay any attention to it."

Garry, a 28-year-old from Dublin, challenges Makhachev for the UFC welterweight belt on August 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. He is 17-1 and comes off a decision win over former champion Belal Muhammad. Makhachev, 28-1, is making his first defense of the 170-pound title, which he won with a five-round decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.

Nobody says it to his face

Garry became a target of online attacks in late 2023 and early 2024, with much of the commentary aimed at his marriage and family. He switched off Instagram comments in that period and said the volume of messages had raised concern for his family's safety.

Asked whether anyone had ever walked up to him in public and repeated an online insult, he said no. "If anyone said that to my face, firstly, you have to have a serious set on you to say that to my face," Garry said. "But they just don't do that. I'm telling you, online treatment from MMA fans is quite harsh."

He pointed to Paddy Pimblett as a recent example of how fast the mood can turn. Pimblett was heavily criticized after losing a competitive decision to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in January. Months later he stopped Benoit Saint Denis in 52 seconds at UFC 329, and the talk flipped almost at once.

"Paddy got beaten by Justin and everyone was telling him X, Y, Z, saying this, saying that," Garry said. "He goes in, he finishes Benoit Saint Denis, and everyone's like, 'He's unbelievable.' They're so in the moment. They're such recency bias people that it's kind of hard to form an opinion of them."

His own approach is to keep the two worlds apart. "What I know is, anything that is said online is only online," he said.

Source: LowKick MMA