Ian Garry talks Cage Warriors title fight, addresses rumours of leaving Team KF

Ian Garry has proved himself as one of the very best prospects in the world in his young career and with a Cage Warriors championship on the line this Saturday 26th June 2021 at Cage Warriors 125 against European veteran Jack Grant, this is surely the biggest fight of his career to date.

In an interview with Sean Sheehan early this afternoon, Garry spoke again about wanting to get to the UFC and put his name in the greatest ever coversation:

“Look i think it’s pretty easy, the UFC know i’m coming, I’m going to go in there, win the belt and then sit back and relax and decide what the champ wants to do. We’ve been saying this since day one, That’s where the best fighters in the world are and as long as they are the top promotion in the world that’s where I am going to want to be”

“I want to leave a legacy I want my name in the goat conversation,”

When asked about rumours of a split from his long time team and coaches Garry didn’t want to get into it, instead wanting to let his in cage performance do the talking:

“I’ll let my words come out in the octagon. I’ll go in there and do my job, put in my performance and then speak afterwards, and everyone will know then but for me I have got a job to do, I’ve got tunnel vision and I’m focussed on what needs to be done”

When pressed by Sheehan about the rumours, Garry seemed reluctant to elaborate on the situation

“Again, you’ll find out on Saturday night, I need to go in there and do my job and that’s all I’m focussed on I am here to put on the best performance people have seen of me and nothing is going to phase that.”

On the subject of the effect all of this in the background has had on his preparations, Ian admitted the camp has been tough and that there “is a lot of mental battle”.

“I’m not going to lie to you preparation in this camp has been tough but it’s a world title fight, it should be tough. It’s a world title fight, the preparation should always be harder than the fight, if it’s not, you haven’t prepared right. So it’s been hard, it’s been tough, you have to overcome adversity, there is a lot of mental battle. You’re going in there to prove this is the final step to get to where you said you wanted to be for a long time and theres nothing that’s going to stop anyone whose in my shoes from making that step. It’s about going in here and proving that I’m right, that I’m better than everyone. That’s what I’ve said since day one.”

When asked what it might be like to go into such an important fight without his head coach Chris Fields in his corner, Garry brushed it off but revealed that he and Fields had spoken in the past about such an occurrence

“It’s something that i’ve been preparing for my entire career. There’s been times where me and Chris sat down and we knew there may be fights he may not be at because he said that he would always be there for other fights but I’m going into this cage again and I’m doing me, that is all I am doing. Saturday night, it’s about me. It’s about me winning my world title. It’s about me putting in all my hard work.”

Garry revealed that even though his opponent Jack Grant is a well respected grappler by those in the know, for the general public a knockout always does more to impress

“Obviously we know Jack Grant is a hell of a grappler, it’s no secret, he’s proven it time and time again, he’s a brilliant grappler. Ive never needed to show my grappling skills, I’ve never needed to get to that point where I had to take someone down, the only times I’ve ever done it was to prove a point, it’s like people say ‘he’s only a striker’ well actually, he’s not.

“Here, I’ll go and choke out this guy or I’ll take this guy down and sub him, or elbow him. For me, grappling isn’t universally understood. Everybody understands, if me and you are having a fight, and I am punching you in the face, it’s good for me. I’m entertaining at the same time I’m going in there to win. I want to have fun. I want to go in there and hit someone and not get hit. I want to go in there and stop someone from doing what they want to do, so if Jack Grant is going to come in here and try and take me down, which he will, he will have to try and take me down, when I stop it, that’s a mental battle I have beaten him on.”

“I just don’t see why I would want to get into the grappling unless I see a gap and I dive on it and I’m like ‘I’m going to sub him now’ but for me it’s about putting on a show, putting on a statement. I can go in there and sub Jack Grant, no stress. But at the end of the day, is that going to look better for me on my highlight reel? Me subbing Jack Grant? Or me knocking Jack Grant out cold?”

*UPDATE*

Following the interview, Garry released a statement on Instagram confirming he and Team KF have parted ways.

Statement from @iangarryMMA where he confirms he had parted ways with Team KF.

I asked him about that, and more, in our interview previous to the statement today: https://t.co/59pYgQwzZl pic.twitter.com/xz5B0aP9zc

— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) June 24, 2021