Ian Machado Garry believes he beat Geoff Neal with the mugshot t-shirt, says he won’t fight him ever

By Cole Shelton - August 29, 2023

Ian Machado Garry says Geoff Neal missed his chance to fight him.

Geoff Neal and Ian Machado Garry

Garry and Neal were booked to fight at UFC 292 in Boston but just over a week before the fight, ‘Handz of Steel’ was forced out of the bout due to an injury. The Irishman believes Neal was never actually hurt and was simply traumatized by his head games, especially after selling the mugshot t-shirt.

“I was pissed, I was pissed because I was excited to go out and finish him. I was excited to go out there and put on a show for the fans and finish Geoff Neal the way I knew I could,” Ian Machado Garry said to BJPENN.com. “Look, I believe I won the fight by a t-shirt, selling a t-shirt online and posting his mugshot. I won that fight, I got so deep in that man’s head that he pulled out.”

Although Geoff Neal had to pull out of the fight, Ian Machado Garry was still able to compete at UFC 292 as he dominated Neil Magny over three rounds.

Ian Machado Garry won’t sign on to fight Geoff Neal again

After the win, Garry took to the mic and called out Stephen Thompson. Although a bout with ‘Wonderboy’ would be electric, many fans still want him to fight Geoff Neal.

However, Ian Machado Garry says Geoff Neal missed his chance and he will never sign a contract to fight the Fortis MMA fighter again.

“He missed his opportunity, I showed up on the date we agreed, he didn’t. I beat him with a t-shirt and somebody else stepped in his place. No, absolutely not,” Garry said.

With the win at UFC 292, Ian Machado Garry is now 13-0 as a pro. Prior to the win over Magny, he scored a first-round TKO win over Daniel Rodriguez back in May. The Irishman is currently 6-0 inside the Octagon and ranked 11th at welterweight.


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Exclusive MMA Interviews Geoff Neal Ian Garry UFC