Who is UFC's latest signing Ian Garry, the man touted as the next Conor McGregor?

The UFC appears to have signed the man tipped to be the next great mixed martial arts star out of Ireland - Ian Garry.

The 23-year-old, nicknamed 'The Future,' has now made an appearance on the UFC's welterweight fan rankings which has led many to speculate that the promotion has officially signed him to a contract. It comes after weeks, if not months, of speculation about when he would get the call-up—those who have watched him know just how dangerous he can be.

Ian Garry - the next big thing?

Garry’s last fight took place on June 26 when he went head to head with Jack Grant, with the result being Garry capturing the Cage Warriors welterweight title via unanimous decision. That brought his overall MMA record up to 7-0, and while that may make him seem quite inexperienced in comparison to other Cage Warriors stars who have made the move up, he’s certainly put the hard graft in to get to this point.

Ian Garry has been in the spotlight pretty frequently in recent times for his work inside the cage and his dealings outside of it. He’s obviously doing some tremendous things in terms of his rise to prominence as a young prospect, but he also recently split from Team KF Martial Arts, based in Dublin.

Well, well, well, folks. It appears ‘The Future’ is here. Ian Garry is now in the UFC fan’s welterweight rankings. 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/VHSnOmZRlp

— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) July 16, 2021

There appeared to be some kind of disagreement between the two parties, with the break-up taking place just ten days before his aforementioned showdown against Jack Grant. This left many to wonder where his future lies regarding his training.

SBG is an option, given how embedded they are within the Irish MMA culture, but some wonder whether the passage of time will mend any of the lingering wounds in place.

Ian Garry is starting to look like one of the most well-rounded wonderkids to come out of Europe in quite some time, with the majority of his wins coming via ground & pound, head kick, and even submission. He also possesses immense composure, and that’s going to bode well for him heading into a titanic challenge like the UFC.

When could Ian Garry fight in the UFC?

Rumors of a UFC card in London, England, on September 4 have been circulating. It could serve as the first non-American event with fans in attendance outside of Fight Island since before the pandemic.

Garry is believed to have been carrying an injury into his last fight, but if he can recover in time, that could well be the perfect moment for him to fly the Irish flag with plenty of his fans in attendance.

The competition at 170 pounds is incredibly fierce, and it’s going to take a while for Garry to really cement himself as a legitimate contender. Still, after what he’s already been able to accomplish, we wouldn’t be surprised if the value of the name Ian Garry flies through the roof with just one or two wins.