Why Ian Garry moved to Brazil to train with Demian Maia ahead of UFC 330
Garry is willing to travel the world to be the best fighter he
can be.
While Garry (17-1) is Irish, he’s mostly trained at
Chute Boxe in Brazil in recent years. He’s scheduled to
challenge Islam
Makhachev (28-1) for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the main
event of UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Ian Garry details his Brazil training camp before facing Islam
Makhachev at UFC 330
Garry has split his camp between England, Ireland and Brazil for
his upcoming fight. “The Future” is honing his ground game with
grappling legend Demian Maia,
one of the key reasons he moved to Brazil in the first place. He
recently explained that training under Maia is worth the
relocation.
“I want to do what I need to do or what I believe I need to do to
be the best I possibly can be,” Garry told Spinnin Backfist. “So,
traveling out to Brazil and training jiu-jitsu with Demian Maia,
arguably the greatest grappler in MMA history, sounds like an
absolute no-brainer. It’s inarguable. There is nobody in MMA in
Irish history that is as good a grappler or as talented as Demian
Maia. So, it’s non-negotiable. It’s not a conversation.”
Garry also used to train at
Kill Cliff FC in Florida under coach Henri Hooft. He reasons
that the American gym used to be filled with elite welterweights
when he trained there.
“When I traveled to Florida to train with Henri Hooft in Kill Cliff
at the time, it was because Henri Hooft had helped mold many, many
champions in this sport,” Garry added. “But not only that, the guys
that trained at that gym were of the highest level… So, I’m going
now where there is nothing but elite-level athletes to go and
learn, pick their brains and help evolve myself. So, when I made
the decision to leave Ireland to go and train, it was with 100%
focus on what can I, as an athlete, do to be the best version of
me.”
Garry previously trained at Team Renegade, home to Leon
Edwards, in Birmingham, England. He was banned from the gym
over allegations of recording training sessions without permission.
The polarizing Irishman was also reportedly banned from other gyms
in England for a variety of reasons.