Ian Garry Explains Signing With Jake Paul's Company Despite Being Conor McGregor's 'Biggest Fan'

Ian Machado Garry recently inked a deal with Jake Paul’s media company Betr, but the Irishman says that choice doesn’t change his admiration or respect for Conor McGregor.

“The Future” is set to step into the UFC’s Octagon for the sixth time this weekend when he takes on Neil Magny on the main card of UFC 292. Garry was originally slated to meet Geoff Neal before the latter fighter had to withdraw from the event, but luckily Magny was willing to step up on short notice to meet the unbeaten welterweight in Boston.

The 25-year-old is one of the UFC’s fastest rising stars, and from the time he debuted with the promotion in 2021 he’s always been open about the fact that McGregor’s success in the UFC is what motivated him to pursue his own fighting career.

Ian Machado Garry Distances Himself From Jake Paul and Conor McGregor Feud 

Garry recently appeared on The MMA Hour ahead of UFC 292, and when Ariel Helwani asked if his decision to sign with Paul’s company conflicted with his fandom of McGregor the 25-year-old was quick to dismiss the idea.

(Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports)

“I am Conor’s biggest fan,” Garry said. “I am literally the first fighter of a generation to make it to the UFC because of Conor’s rise. What they wanna do and what they have and their personal beef has nothing to do with it. If you have two friends that don’t get on, if you have two people that know they don’t get on, you can still be friends with both. You can still do business with both, you can still talk to both, you can still go to both of their houses and have dinner. What they have has nothing to do with me. That’s called being an adult.”

Never one to shy away from an exchange online, McGregor’s reaction to Paul’s boxing match with Nate Diaz quickly ignited a war of words between the two that’s seen “Problem Child” call for the Irishman to finally rejoin the USADA testing pool so that he’s able to fight again.

“The Notorious” has also recently been feuding with Jake’s brother Logan, who is set to take on McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis in an exhibition boxing match on October 14 that the former two-division UFC champion will reportedly be helping Danis prepare for.

• Read Also: Ian Machado Garry Proposes New Opponent For Teammate Shavkat Rakhmonov Following Failed Kelvin Gastelum Fight

Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.