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Michael Chandler Reveals What 'Ticked Him Off' About UFC Welterweight Ian Garry At Kill Cliff FC

Originally posted on MMA News | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated 12/5/23

Former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler has corroborated one frequent claim made about Ian Garry's gym etiquette.

Garry, who currently occupies the #10 spot at 170 pounds, is set for the biggest fight of his career inside the Octagon to date. At UFC 296 next weekend, the Irishman will look to rise further up the ladder at the expense of longtime contender Vicente Luque.

But while Garry has a notable matchup ahead of him, most of the talk surrounding his name in recent times has focused on topics outside of the cage. That's included his behavior in the gym and nomadic approach to training.

The discussion arose following a ban imposed on "The Future" by England's Team Renegade, the gym of UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards. Since "Rocky" put the ruling down to factors such as Garry turning up late and not fitting in with the culture, a number of others have spoken out.

From Veronica Hardy pointing to Garry's other gym bans to Brendan Allen speaking negatively about his experience with the Dubliner at Kill Cliff FC, the former Cage Warriors titleholder's training presence is firmly under the spotlight.

Chandler On Garry Claims: 'Few Actually Have Perfect Gym Etiquette'

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, another Kill Cliff FC standout in Michael Chandler was asked to give take on the topic, having shared the mats with Garry himself.

While the former Bellator champion praised Garry's talent and potential to become a future champion, he did corroborate one of the claims made by Edwards regarding the Irishman's attitude towards training — poor punctuality.

"As far as Ian goes, man, he's got a ton of talent. He's got that Irish mystique to him, the way that he speaks," Chandler said. "He's got the talent, he's got the confidence. if he keeps his head on his shoulders, he could be champion one day, for sure. But he's got a tough test ahead of him in Vicente. Both of those guys I would consider teammates, probably Vicente even more... Ian is now kind of bouncing around a little bit.

"He's very much a 'me' kind of fighter, whereas I've always been a 'we' kind of fighter, focusing on the team more than myself," Chandler continued. "I don't think he's a bad dude... I don't know about the gym etiquette. He doesn't show up on time all the time and he doesn't show up at every practice, which really ticked me off. But that ticks me off about anybody else. There's only a few people that I would actually say have perfect gym etiquette."

With his upcoming opponent preparing at Kill Cliff FC in Florida and his presence not wanted at Team Renegade, Garry has turned to Brazil's Chute Boxe facility ahead of UFC 296 on December 16.

Although his personal life and preparation is being heavily scrutinized, "The Future" will look to shut out the noise next weekend and further enhance his position in welterweight contention.

This article first appeared on MMA News and was syndicated with permission.

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