He's a young, brash Irishman who doesn't lack confidence - Michael Chandler backs Ian Garry to become world champion

Michael Chandler believes that recently signed UFC welterweight Ian Garry will one day become a world champion. 'Iron', who trains with Garry at Sanford MMA, recently gave his thoughts on why the Irish prospect stands out and how he could climb to the top of the UFC mountain.

Chandler was all praise for Garry's athleticism and the confidence he carries. During a conversation with Megan Olivi on ESPN MMA, here's what Chandler said about Ian Garry:

"We had a couple conversations and then I was like, okay, obviously the talent is there, you know? His body type, his confidence in himself, the part of the world that he comes from - he's a young, brash Irishman who does not lack confidence in any area of his life. And that's something I'm attracted to as well. Even as a 35 year old - a guy who has been in the game for a decade longer than he has - I still try to remember myself as that young, hungry, nothing to lose kind of guy. And I think my fight style shows it, my attention to detail shows it because I want to live a champion lifestyle. And it's just awesome to see these guys come in and even Ian himself, I think his game is on a trajectory to the moon. I think he will be world champion in the next couple of years."

Watch Michael Chandler's full conversation with ESPN MMA in the video below:

Ian Garry made an impressive UFC debut on November 6, 2021, securing a first-round KO win over Jordan Williams. Following the bout, the unbeaten welterweight gave a nod to his compatriot and former two-division champion Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview.

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Ian Garry denies any beef with Michael Chandler

Ian Garry left the Republic of Ireland for Sanford MMA in Florida for his promotional debut and has been training with the likes of Michael Chandler ever since.

There have been rumors of Chandler having beef with Ian Garry after 'Iron' called out Garry during an interview with Helen Yee after he missed a practice session. During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Garry was asked by Ariel Helwani about his dynamic with Chandler and whether he has any issues with the former Bellator champion. Here's what Garry said:

"I do irritate him a bit. But Chandler's cool, I like Chandler a lot. He's an absolute workhorse and he's someone I'm blessed to be on the mats with. He's at the top of the sport for a reason. He's someone you can learn a lot from and I've done some wrestling with him, and you can see why he's that good. So yeah, there's no beef."

Catch Ian Garry's interaction with Arial Helwani in the video below: