Morning Report: Ian Garry claims Leon Edwards' 'insecurities' booted him from Team Renegade, gym responds

01/11/2023 13:00

Ian Machado Garry has lost one of his best spots for cross-training.

The UFC welterweight division has always been jam-packed with intriguing contenders but in 2023, the crop has surprisingly gotten very familiar with each other in the gym rather than the octagon. As someone who spends most of his training time at the popular Florida-based gym Kill Cliff FC, Garry's upcoming opponent at UFC 296 Vicente Luque will be a familiar face. Over in England, "The Future" has grown accustomed to working with the current champion Leon Edwards.

That's recently changed for the 25-year-old Garry, however. The undefeated rising Irish star has revealed that he was kicked out of Team Renegade, where he's trained with "Rocky."

"Leon and his head coach had an issue with me training on the mats and recently have asked me not to train there," Garry told The Independent. "Because, 'Leon doesn't want any insecurities or doubts on his own mats, within the gym,' which I don't fully understand.

"I get that we're both in the top 10 and you might see me as a threat, but I'm not a threat to you right now; I'm not fighting for the title right now. His coach said the words: 'Ian is a threat, I cannot have Leon having any doubts or insecurities.'

"That makes me think someone is weak-minded and can't have another contender training on the mat. That's why gym conflict is annoying," he continued. "For me, why not have that other elite guy on the mat? Why not train with him? Why not have him push you? Why not learn and grow from each other?"

Garry's last fight ended with the biggest win of his 13-fight career as he dominated veteran competitor and record-holder for most 170-pound fights in UFC welterweight history, Neil Magny, en route to a unanimous decision at UFC 292 in August. After seeing Garry's comments on the matter, Team Renegade released the following response, attempting to give some clarity.

"Sometimes the coaches allow fighters to come in from the outside, but this is very much a privilege and not the norm," Team Renegade wrote in a statement to The Independent. "If the coaches feel it's not adding to the team's culture, a fighter is refused entrance. Ian Garry's more nomadic approach to preparation has given him great results, but it's not in line with what we are creating at Team Renegade. This has nothing to do with one specific fighter or a specific coach."

In the official UFC rankings, Garry has some work to do as the No. 10 ranked fighter before sniffing an eventual title shot. 2023 is winding down and Edwards is set to return with a defense against Colby Covington at the UFC's last event of the year, UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, other notable top contenders like Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov wait in the wings ahead of the risers like Garry. Therefore, it makes the whole gym drama all the more frustrating at this moment in time.

"It's very irritating, because I'm a young fighter who wants to be the best in the world, who wants to train with the best in the world, and Renegade is the best gym in the UK," Garry said. "I went there to learn from the guys around Birmingham and who have essentially proven that it's the best gym in the UK; I didn't go there to train with Leon, I went there to train with that gym because they're amazing."

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Just from what we know, I'm not sure there's a way to necessarily make Edwards or the team look "good" in the situation. Very interesting development though and surely there's more to the overall story.

Thanks for reading!

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