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Neil Magny is not known for engaging in trash talk, maintaining a more reserved demeanor. The UFC welterweight, holding the division's all-time record for wins, recently fought on short notice at UFC 292 in August. Substituting for Geoff Neal, Magny faced the undefeated Irish prospect Ian Machado Garry. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old suffered his 11th career loss in the one-sided unanimous decision.
In the brief lead-up to the bout, Machado Garry (13-0) took a personal approach, responding to a comment Magny made by targeting him personally. Magny had stated he'd give Machado Garry "a whooping that you give your son." Machado Garry used this comment to criticize Magny's parenting, stating that such contexts should not be used and are never funny. Following this, Machado Garry has withdrawn from his upcoming fight at UFC 296, originally scheduled against Vicente Luque, citing pneumonia as the reason for his withdrawal.
The timing is challenging for Machado Garry, not just due to his recent verbal attack on Magny, but also because of drama surrounding his departure from a gym and the resurgence of controversy related to a book published by his wife, Layla. This has led to online backlash, likely making Machado Garry hesitant about his public obligations even before the cancellation of his fight. Despite their history, Magny is not reveling in the aftermath.
“I’m fortunate now that like the majority of that stuff is behind me,” Magny told Middle Easy. “That didn’t affect me too drastically when it comes to my family life and that kind of thing. But, it’s unfortunate to see someone’s personal life be drug up the way his life has been drug up and all the stuff that he has to go through currently. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, especially when you consider the entire family dynamic and all the people are involved in there.
“Like yeah, him and his wife may have whatever going on, but at the end of the day, regardless of what’s going on, they share a child together. That child deserves the right to grow up knowing he has two loving parents or whatever. Again, all this stuff drug out into the media, out in the open, that kind of thing — I don’t think anyone is deserving of that regardless what they may or may not have done to me. I’m not gonna sit back and necessarily take joy in seeing that play out with somebody.”
Machado Garry's victory over Magny marked his most significant win to date, extending his undefeated streak to six in the octagon. The status of his matchup with Luque remains uncertain, with Kevin Holland hinting at the possibility of stepping in.
Meanwhile, Magny is eager to bounce back and will face Mike Mallott at UFC 297 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Jan. 20. While he would ideally like a rematch with Machado Garry, he isn't holding his breath.
“If I’m being honest, it’s unfortunate,” Magny reflected on his brief saga with Machado Garry. “Having gone through what I got gone through based off of some of the statements and antics that Ian Garry said during fight week, it definitely caused some personal turbulence in my life, so to speak. But at the end of the day, I have to take accountability for the things that left my mouth and take accountability for the words that left my mouth. I definitely made statements that he was able to spin and play out in a different way than what I have intended to.
“At the end of the day, that’s on me. I was the one who made those statements, made those statements publicly. How someone else perceived them or spun them — that’s outta my control, but I kind of gave him that opportunity to be able to do so. I have to own that fact and live with it, so to speak.”
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