All on me in McGregor's absence - Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry had taken a short vacation to play immoderate play erstwhile he heard nan news.

Without his telephone to "disconnect from nan world and walk clip pinch his family", nan 26-year-old was unaware of a large communicative breaking successful his hometown, Dublin.

It was earlier nan thrust backmost location that his woman turned to him, revealing Conor McGregor had pulled out of his conflict astatine UFC 303 done injury.

Machado Garry's dream of fighting connected nan aforesaid paper arsenic his compatriot was over.

"It would person been a existent afloat circle moment, from that young kid successful Dublin who would beryllium astatine location and study his fights, to beryllium sat connected nan aforesaid shape arsenic him successful Vegas, signing nan aforesaid posters arsenic him, entering into that aforesaid octagon arsenic him," Machado Garry told BBC Sport.

"It would person been for illustration ‘well done kid, you did’ it. You're some flying nan emblem for your country, we would person been representing Ireland connected nan biggest shape possible."

From nan infinitesimal successful March erstwhile erstwhile double champion McGregor's return had been confirmed by nan UFC, Machado Garry has been vocal astir competing connected nan aforesaid card, targeting a bout pinch Colby Covington.

That conflict ne'er materialised, pinch a welterweight bout pinch Britain's Michael 'Venom' Page being confirmed astatine nan T-Mobile Arena connected Saturday instead.

Machado Garry cursed erstwhile his woman first told him, but during nan hour-and-a-half thrust backmost home, he began to spot an upside to nan "upsetting news" of McGregor's injury.

"If thing now, spell retired location and do it for nan Irish moreover much so," said Machado Garry.

"I’m still here. And if thing nan Irish merit my capacity to beryllium bigger and amended now because of nan anticipation of coming to spot a Conor fight.

"Everything he is, is connected maine now. I’ll transportation that flag. I person nary problem base that burden. Pop it connected my back, let’s spell and I’ll show nan world.”

A number of fighters person been compared to nan 35-year-old McGregor complete nan years, whose title wins astatine featherweight and lightweight, coupled pinch his brash personality, helped expose nan UFC to a wider assemblage astir 9 years ago.

Although a action of athletes person matched and arguably surpassed McGregor's achievements wrong nan octagon, nary 1 has sewage adjacent to his prima powerfulness and recognisability extracurricular nan sport.

"Conor is nan person, he will bring nan wide public’s attraction to a fight. He’s conscionable truthful intelligent nan measurement he talks and builds a conflict - he’s an entertainer," said Machado Garry.

"He’s nan champion combatant to ever measurement ft successful that octagon.

"Do I deliberation it’s a lawsuit of is anybody ever going to beryllium for illustration Conor? No. Conor is 1 of one, there’s ne'er going to beryllium different Conor McGregor."

But that doesn't mean Machado Garry, who is unbeaten successful his 14-fight career, doesn't judge a combatant tin execute akin levels of occurrence to McGregor.

"Do I deliberation McGregor tin beryllium replicated? Let’s bring it to a different example. There was a Pele, location was a [Diego] Maradona, location was a Cristiano Ronaldo and past location was a [Lionel] Messi," said Machado Garry.

"There’s ever going to beryllium personification other who will beryllium nan top combatant aliases nan astir elite jock we’ve seen that really does return complete nan sport. It’s inevitable location will beryllium different combatant who’s going to do that."

And Machado Garry, who is seventh successful nan UFC welterweight rankings aft winning 7 fights since his 2021 debut successful nan organisation, believes he tin beryllium nan man to emulate McGregor's success.

"Because of my personality, because of nan measurement I americium arsenic a father, a human, a husband, everything I do is real, is true," said Machado Garry.

"And erstwhile you beryllium you, and are genuinely and unapologetically you, nan world sees that and they link to it. I’m not putting connected a show, aliases a mendacious narrative.

"So perfectly it will hap and I judge successful nan adjacent twelvemonth aliases 2 I tin beryllium that adjacent star."