Ian Machado Garry claimed a split decision victory over Geoff Neal at UFC 298 on the back of months of controversy surrounding the Irishman.
Muchado Garry beat Neal 30-27, 28-29, 30-27 on the scorecards before unleashing a verbal attack on his critics as he appeared to embrace the villain role.
He was booed throughout the night and after the fight, calling out Colby Covington after the bout, claiming to retire the 35-year-old on the back of his criticism of his wife, Layla.
Machado Garry had threatened to ‘thump the mouth off Sean Strickland’ for calling his wife a ‘paedophile’ among other insults, while Covington had branded he a ‘vile lady’ and a ‘hoe’.
After beating Neal, however, Machaco Garry took to the mic to address the American and booing fans in attendance.
Ian Machado Garry claimed a split decision victory over Geoff Neal at UFC 298 on the back of months of controversy
He beat his opponent 30-27, 28-29, 30-27 in what was ultimately a close-fought contest
Muchado Garry and his wife Layla (right) have been a point of conversation in the MMA world for a number of months
‘I’m undefeated, winning, keep talking, you’re watching me,’ he told Joe Rogan. ‘Geoff hits hard and you have to give him respect, he’s a warrior and I knew I might have to jab away for 15 minutes because he’s very dangerous.
‘I want Colby Covington next, he’s on a three fight skid and I want to retire him, you ain’t ready to deal with this speed and I’ll make you regret everything you’ve said.
‘I was a kid watching this and I’m living the dream and I’ll be a world champion whether you like it or not.’
Machado Garry, 26, and his relationship with wife Layla, 40, has been in the spotlight for a number of months, with the likes of Strickland spreading misinformation and encouraging online trolls.
Some fans online had claimed the Machado Garrys lived with Layla’s ex-husband, Richard Cullen.
She quickly debunked that and now her UFC star husband, who fights this Saturday night in Anaheim, has explained the arrangement, which sees him hired as a nutritionist, in full.
He told Shakiel Mahjouri: ‘The main reason behind my wife’s ex-husband is that he’s an elite performance nutritionist and he’s very f***ing good at what he does, to the point where every single UFC weight cut has been easier every time.
‘We’ve worked phenomenally together and I’m very proud of the work we’ve done. In that same regard, he’s a professional in one regard, he’s also the father of my wife’s son and I never want to be a wedge between a father and a son.’
The relationship had previously been put under the spotlight after it emerged Layla had previously written a short satirical book called ‘How to be a WAG’ more than 10 years ago.
Machado Garry (right) hired the ex-husband (centre) of Layla (left) to be his nutritionist and travel the world with them
Cullen (left) was described as ‘very f***ing good at what he does’ by Machado Garry
Muchado Garry showed slick movement and razor sharp kicks early on in the fight but was forced onto the back foot on occasion by Neal.
The crowd grew frustrated in the final round as he circled away from and direct altercation, but, after hitting a perfect knee, he backed the decision victory was heading his way.
Muchado Garry’s UFC record now stands at 14 wins from 14 matches as he looks to continue climbing the roster.
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