Vicente Luque isn’t stooping down to Ian Garry’s level of trash talk.
Ahead of their fight at UFC 296, the fighting Irishman has been making a lot of noise. Controversial headlines have followed Garry recently as he has perhaps taken it too far in mind games (among other things) against Geoff Neal, Neil Magny and now next opponent Luque.
Luque On Facing Garry
Of course, that’s not all of the hoopla currently revolving around Garry, but we’ll get to that later. Despite all of the ruckus that can come out of this, Luque looks at it as the ‘perfect fight’.
“Overall, I was excited. I think it’s a big fight,” Luque told Middle Easy. “When I look at the division right now, obviously there are names up there like Colby [Covington] and Belal [Muhammad] and other guys that are big names. Right now I don’t that would be a fight that I would get. But, Ian is a guy that has a lot of hype. He’s undefeated. A lot of people are backing him and this hype train of Ireland. He’s gonna be the next thing. I think that’s really positive for me. It’s a big fight. It’s a fight that definitely kind of moves me in the division.
“A win over him is definitely gonna set me up for good things. The timing is perfect because we have the title fight going on. We have Shavkat vs. Wonderboy, so it’s a big move in the division. I thought it was super important to be moving with the division to be fighting once again this year. I don’t wanna finish 2023 just with one fight. So, I think it was a perfect fight.”
Garry isn’t exactly firing on ALL cylinders when it comes to trash talking Luque and that’s probably because they are teammates at Kill Cliff FC. However, Garry did take a shot at Luque after the Brazilian posted about being baptized, which stirred up even more controversy.
Fuck Ian Garry pic.twitter.com/KwR7KOAINp
— cotydankh (@CotyJitsu) November 20, 2023
‘What I Wanna Show Is Respect’
Luque refuses to take part in Garry’s mind games in the lead-up to their fight.
“I try not to anticipate [but] I’m ready for everything,” Luque said regarding Garry’s mental warfare. “At the end of the day, I know that I can control my attitude and what I’m gonna be is what I’ve always been, a respectful person and respectful fighter. I do respect Ian. Not only because he’s a fellow fighter. I know that he works hard, but also I know him personally. I think he’s a nice guy in many different ways. So, I do respect him and I always wish the best for everybody that I’ve worked with and I will work with in the future.”
“So, that’s gonna be what I can control. Whatever he wants to do, if he wants to take an opportunity to, I don’t know, try to mess with my mind or try to sell the fight, that’s on him. That’s on his behavior, on whatever he wants to do, what he wants to show the world. What I wanna show is respect, show the sport. I’m all about this sport. I’m all about MMA. I think that this fight is sold, but by pure skills and the talent that we have as fighters. I’ve shown time and time again what I can do in that octagon. Ian has shown that he is definitely a dangerous fighter and very exciting fighter. I think that by itself sells a fight.
“So, I’m good with it,” Luque added. “I’m good with just [doing my] talking inside the octagon and I’ll let him do whatever he wants— whatever makes him feel good.”
‘Disrespect’ From ‘The Future’
Luque would speak more on Garry’s ‘disrespectful’ comments made towards him and whether it will have an impact on Luque & Garry’s home gym at Kill Cliff FC.
“There is certain things that we find disrespectful. I’m sure that a lot of guys did not appreciate the comment he did in my Instagram, I myself, I did feel that’s a disrespect. I’m not gonna take it personally, but I did feel like, hey, I was doing something that was really important for me. I posted about it and he chose to make fun or whatever out of it, you know?
“I’m sure that many guys, look at that and say hey, he was a teammate from us and now he’s fighting against one of us, and now he just decides to change his attitude. So, I think that bothers a lot of people. But with that said, I don’t know, maybe at the end when everything’s said and done, he can work a way to go back into the team and train.”
Luque On Garry’s Latest Controversy
The undefeated Garry isn’t the only one that’s taking heat nowadays. His wife, Layla, has also been included in controversy regarding the couple’s relationship. Luque gives his two cents on the matter and more.
“I think it’s tough, especially like the family part,” Luque continued. “It’s something that that bothers me because, you know, it doesn’t matter. Whatever happens, it’s his family. I’m sure that he loves them, and I think that that’s really disrespectful. So I hope you that he can just, you know, get over all this and, and not take it into him and, and into his personal, you know, feelings. But with that said, I know that Ian is a guy that is really, you know, he’s outspoken. He speaks about people. The whole Neil Magny thing went to another level, you know, to another proportion. So at the same time, I’m like, okay, when you talk, you gotta be willing to listen as well, you know? I feel like that’s going on a little bit. He created a lot of hate towards Neil Magny, and now maybe he’s getting a lot of hate towards him.
“I imagine that he probably knows how to handle it, because that’s kind of his way. So, I just hope that, that he’s good and he’s ready for the fight, because that’s, that’s what what really matters right now. You know, we get in there and I’m going, I’m going there to, to get that win and really to put on the pressure on him. Hopefully he’s ready and he’s gonna give the hardest fight he can.”
