Ian Garry Says Online Hate He Received Isn’t 'Real'

While Ian Garry might have been a target of ridicule leading up to UFC 296, the Irishman believes most of the online hate he received wasn’t real.

Garry has attracted a lot of attention recently for everything ranging from his relationship with his wife to his questionable gym etiquette. As a result, Garry was one of the most eagerly-awaited fighters at UFC 296 media day ahead of his proposed clash with Vicente Luque. However, “The Future” failed to show up to the session and was pulled from the bout a day after due to pneumonia. While Garry inevitably faced a lot of online hate, he believes most of it was fake. The former Cage Warriors champion thanked his true fans in a post on Instagram.

“Fight week didn’t go as planned,” Garry wrote. “Influenza developed into pneumonia as I dropped weight and for the first time in my career I was pulled by the UFC doctor. Flying home I met so many fans who flew out specifically to see me. F—k. This is not how I wanted to meet you. I wanted to put on a show more than anything. Thank you for all your kind words, wonderful messages and to everyone who was there for me. You might read hateful comments online but I’ve discovered they aren’t real. In real life you book flights, hotels, you drive miles, and you show up, in Vegas. I appreciate the hell out everyone and I promise I’ll make it up to you all in February.”

The undefeated welterweight prospect was subsequently booked against Geoff Neal for UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California. While the two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 292 in August, Neal was replaced by Neil Magny, who Garry went on to beat via unanimous decision.