The UFC 303 pre-fight press conference did not feature much trash talk between the main card competitors. Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka, Diego Lopez, and others kept cool. Meanwhile, Irish UFC star Ian Garry stole the spotlight by leveling a serious accusation against Michael ‘Venom’ Page. The accusation involved alleged spying done by MVP ahead of their UFC 303 showdown.
Ian Garry has started training at Charles Oliveira’s Chute Boxe to improve his grappling. The Chute Boxe family has remained extremely welcoming of Garry. Nevertheless, ‘MVP’ allegedly tried to extract information about Garry from the team based in Brazil. As such, Ian Garry roasted Page for using underhanded tactics.
Did you offer thousands of dollars to get information in Chute Boxe from my boys? Did you send someone a message another thousand for information? Yet, you couldn’t infiltrate the camp. You couldn’t get inside. The Chute Boxe family is too tight. Your f**king rat Jiu-Jitsu coach offered money to some of my Brazilian friends and you got nothing.
Ian Garry via UFC 303 pre-fight press conference
The accusation of spying certainly became a topic that took everyone by surprise. Moreover, Michael ‘Venom’ Page didn’t refute the allegations. Instead, Page spoke about ‘making noise’ in the UFC now that he has arrived in the promotion. With this exchange, Saturday’s main card opener has become a fight worth tuning into.
Garry vs. Page has all the makings of a classic striking battle. Both remain confident in outshining the other. Nevertheless, Page has a clear idea of how the fight will go between them. As such, he made a bold prediction of what happens in their bout. The British fighter claimed that Garry resorting to grappling in their bout would not end well for the Irish star.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page claims grappling will be Ian Garry’s downfall
Ian Garry has not actively grappled in the UFC. According to the UFC stats, Garry has a 75% takedown accuracy, landing 3 out of 4 attempts. At no point in his career in the UFC did he shoot for a takedown because of the pressure from the opposing fighters. Michael Page has some advice for Garry if he wants to use grappling techniques against him.
Page talked about his opponents wrestling against him in a sitdown with UFC legend Daniel Cormier. Some have asked Garry to mix in grappling to defeat MVP. As such, Page expects Garry to shoot for a takedown, but it will become a costly mistake for the young Irishman.
When I have a striker, I know initially, his ego is going to tell him, ‘I can strike.’ But then, he’s going to the secondary of trying to grapple and that’s not his sync. His energy is gonna die. He’s gonna desperately trying to grapple and will walk into some dangerous strikes. Â
Michael Venom Page via Daniel Cormier YT Channel
So far, Garry has used clinches to wear on his opponents and implement his game plan. It was very prevalent in his bout against Neil Magny. As such, Ian Garry expects to outshine MVP inside the octagon with his striking at UFC 303. Whether or not the bout resorts to the ground remains to be seen.
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