Ian Machado Garry defied fate long enough to use his ground game to earn the victory over Michael Page.
Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) knew his best path to victory would be through wrestling, and that’s exactly the game plan he implemented in earning a unanimous (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) decision victory over Page in the UFC 303 main card opener at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After referee Mark Smith signaled for the fight to begin, chants of “MVP” roared through the crowd as Page shuffled toward Garry in his side-stance.
Both offered a few singles, but neither found the target. Garry, however, had the first major moment, getting a takedown after a caught kick.
Garry worked his way to Page’s back and locked up in a body triangle. A second later an arm was under the neck and the rear naked choke was secured. Page escaped the choke but was met with Garry’s punches from behind to the horn.
Page stung Garry with a right hand early in round 2. Page darted in and out and hit with another combination while dodging Garry’s punches. A moment later, Page struck and missed, creating an opening for Garry to quickly grab hold for a clinch. Garry then dropped for a leg lock but couldn’t secure it.
Back on his feet, Page connected with a quick two-punch combo. After missing with a flying knee, Page fired off another combo right in front of the horn.
With five minutes to go, Page continued to hunt for foot attacks. An awkward collision led to the fight going to the floor with Page on top. Garry was able to sneak in some solid elbows from his back while working a body triangle.
The fight returned to the standing position midway through the round, but didn’t stay there for long as Garry got a takedown and quickly scrambled to his back. Page stood with Garry on his back along the fence, and the crowd grew restless as the final seconds ticked away.
During his post-fight interview, Garry said that he felt his best route to the finish was to work on the ground, rather than trying to deal with Page on the feet. He also made his title intentions clear during a conversation with Joe Rogan.
“I’m coming for that world title, 15-0,” said Garry. “Undefeated. Unstoppable. I don’t care who’s next, where it is. I’m going to be world champion. The future is inevitable and I’m coming for that belt.
With the result, Garry took his second win of 2024 and kept his unbeaten record intact. In February, Garry won a split decision over Geoff Neal at UFC 298. Now 8-0 in the UFC, Garry is firmly putting his name in the welterweight title picture.
Current UFC 303 results include:
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Ian Machado def. Garry. Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
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Andre Fili def. Welp Swanson via unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:22
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Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:19
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Gillian Robertson defeated Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Martin Buday def. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
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Rei Tsuruya defeated Carlos Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
For more information about the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
