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Conor McGregor is cheering on fellow Irish fighter Ian Garry as 'The Future' prepares for his return at UFC 273.
Garry has made it no secret that Conor McGregor was the key influence in getting him into mixed martial arts. The 24-year-old remembers watching McGregor with his friends from school and loving all the antics 'The Notorious' would get up to. While others may have turned on McGregor since his recent fighting slump, Garry continues to pay his respects in every interview.
That respect from Garry is being paid back in kind by McGregor. Leaving the courthouse after a hearing on dangerous driving charges, Conor McGregor was asked by Mirror Fighting if he had any words for Ian Garry. McGregor replied:
"I wish him well. He's doing all the right things. He's hitting all the right buttons. Hits the butt of the chin best, so I'm excited to see him back in there representing Ireland."
Garry is set to face Darian Weeks at UFC 273, a fighter whose 5-1 pro record belies the fighting experience he has as a 15-3 amateur. Garry comes into Jacksonville, Florida with a perfect 7-0 record. This will be his second UFC fight after knocking out Jordan Williams with a big counter right at UFC 268 in November 2021.
Ian Garry's mom told him "being the next Conor McGregor is not a plan"
Ian Garry has repeatedly said that Conor McGregor has laid down the blueprint he hopes to follow. That's a pretty big statement to make for a fighter so early in his career. It sounded much worse to Garry's mother when he decided to quit school to concentrate on MMA full time. He said:
"This is a letter my mom wrote to me when I quit college to pursue my dream of being a professional MMA fighter. 'Ian: taking a year off to figure out what to do is stupid. I will not support someone who gives up on themselves and takes the easy way out. Being the next Conor McGregor is not a f**king plan.' I had my first pro fight three years, eight months ago. I'm in the UFC now."
That resonated with Conor McGregor, who responded in a since-deleted Tweet saying:
"Ian, my own parents said something very similar to me as well back in the day! “It can’t be done". Ask them now what they think haha! Prove them wrong and yourself right, my man, enjoy it all!"
