Exclusive | Ian Machado Garry: MMA’s Online Hate Is “Completely Fake”
Ian Machado Garry has dealt with plenty of criticism from MMA fans, but the Irish welterweight says the hostility exists mainly behind a screen. Ahead of his UFC 330 title fight with Islam Makhachev, Garry described a clear difference between social media comments and the reception he gets in person.
The Dublin-born athlete will challenge Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title on August 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Makhachev enters his first defense of the 170-pound belt with a 28-1 MMA record, while Garry is 17-1 and coming off a decision win over former champion Belal Muhammad.
The matchup puts Garry, 28, in a major spotlight, and that has often come with divided fan reaction. He became a target of online attacks in late 2023 and early 2024, with commentary frequently directed at his marriage and family. Garry shut off Instagram comments during that period and said the volume of messages had caused concern for his family’s safety.
Ian Machado Garry Says MMA’s Online Hate Is “Completely Fake” Ahead of UFC 330
“The way fighters are treated online is completely fake,” Garry said, in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA with the help of BetVictor Casino “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.”
The 28-year-old title challenger believes the face-to-face experience tells a different story. Asked if anyone had ever approached him in public to repeat an insult from social media, 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.”
The Irish-born UFC athlete pointed to Paddy Pimblett as a recent example of how quickly the online mood can swing. 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 conversation flipped almost immediately.
“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.”
For Garry, the solution is simple, keep the online noise separate from real life. “What I know is, anything that is said online is only online,” he said.
That approach will be tested at UFC 330, where Garry gets the biggest fight of his career against a champion who won the welterweight title with a five-round decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
