Ian Machado Garry Reveals Mom’s Warning Against Being Next Conor McGregor
Ian Machado Garry opened up about the early pushback he received from his mother when he first pursued a career in mixed martial arts, revealing she warned him that chasing the path of Conor McGregor was not a viable plan.
The UFC welterweight contender shared the story during a recent appearance on the High Performance podcast, reflecting on family pressure and his decision to prioritize fighting over traditional education.
Garry currently holds a 17-1 professional record and ranks among the top contenders in the welterweight division. He is scheduled to challenge champion Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia.
Asked how his mother’s advice contrasted with other guidance he received, Garry explained her perspective with clear understanding. “My mom was only doing what she believed to be correct as a mother, and I can’t fault her for doing what she did,” he said. “Which was telling me that being the next Conor McGregor isn’t a fucking plan.”
He described how she put her concerns in writing. “Wrote down on words, on a piece of paper. It was like a letter to you,” Garry recalled. “I wanted to follow. I was in college. I only went to college to please my mom.”
Garry said the message from his mother emphasized conventional success. She asked him to attend college because his sister had not gone and it was unclear whether his brother would. As the middle child, he felt the weight of that expectation. “Can you please go? Because I want you to go to college. You need to get a degree to succeed in this world. You need to go to college, then get a good job, and it sets you up for, blah, the typical nonsense we hear about this world today.”
The Irish fighter made his own view plain. “It’s complete like rubbish, in my opinion. It’s, it’s bollocks, it really is,” Garry said. He went further on education in general. “I believe as kids now take as many of them out of school as physically possible, and they will be better, better humans.”
The comments arrive as Garry prepares for the biggest opportunity of his career. A victory over Makhachev would make him the UFC welterweight champion and continue his rapid rise since entering the promotion in 2021. His lone career loss came against Shavkat Rakhmonov in late 2024, but subsequent wins over Carlos Prates and former titleholder Belal Muhammad restored his momentum and earned him the title shot.
Garry has long drawn comparisons to McGregor due to his Irish background, striking skill, and confident persona. A well-known photo of a young Garry posing with the former two-division champion often circulates alongside discussions of his potential. Yet the fighter has consistently framed his approach as his own rather than an imitation.
His mother’s early skepticism reflects a common tension for athletes who choose combat sports over more conventional paths. Garry ultimately left college to focus fully on MMA, a decision that has placed him one win away from UFC gold.
With UFC 330 less than a month away, attention will shift from these personal reflections to how Garry performs under the bright lights against one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport. The outcome will determine whether the plan his mother once questioned delivers the ultimate reward.
