UFC welterweight star Ian Machado Garry is concerned for the safety of his family. The undefeated Irishman has been in the headlines recently for the wrong reasons. While he has spoken about looking forward to fighting Luque, what concerns Garry more might just be his feud against the former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
‘Tarzan’ had recently come out and attacked Garry’s wife, Layla Machado Garry for being a “predator” because of unsavory rumors on social media and her contentious 2012 book. But why is there so much ado about Layla’s book? And how true are the rumors surrounding the couple going around on social media? Let us take a look.
‘How To Be a WAG’ – By Ian Garry’s Wife Layla Machado Garry
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Ian Machado Garry’s wife is a former television presenter. And in 2012 she published a book titled “How To Be a WAG”, a satirical book that ostensibly is about how to get a successful athlete husband. The term ‘WAG’ is a British tabloid term that stands for ‘Wife and Girlfriend’ and refers to the wives and girlfriends of high-profile athletes and sportsmen. It provides in-depth instructions on subjects such as diets to follow, makeup to wear, and how to engage with the press for athletes’ wives and girlfriends.
This book has led many to assume that she used the tactics in the book to ‘trap’ the Irishman. However, the book was a satirical look at the ‘WAG’ culture in the UK that painted an unflattering portrait of these women. Recently, there have also been unsubstantiated social media rumors that Garry has taken his wife’s ex-husband’s name and the latter was living with them. The couple has denied these rumors and clarified that Garry took her maiden name ‘Machado’ as his middle name to show his love for his wife.
Amid these speculations, Sean Strickland called her out on social media to try and ‘save’ Garry. Layla is fourteen years older than the Irishman. Given the rumors, the age gap, and her book (which he doesn’t seem to realize was tongue-in-cheek), Strickland accused her of being a predator and of preying on the 26-year-old.
Ian Garry’s wife is a SEXUAL PREDATOR……. She sought out a young athlete to seduce because she’s getting old and still wanted to be famous.. No buddy of fame wanted you so you preyed on a kid… You are and will forever be known as a succubus…
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) November 29, 2023
Garry and his wife have vigorously denied these accusations. The welterweight has even threatened to sue Strickland for defamation in direct messages with the middleweight champion. Garry has also spoken about being concerned for the safety and security of his family due to “all the s*** that’s been going on online” ahead of his UFC 296 bout against Luque, which promises to be an exciting matchup.
Layla Machado Garry’s comments about the book
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While the book remains highly controversial, the author, Layla Machado Garry has maintained that it was strictly satire and is not meant to be taken seriously at all. She had an earful for her detractors for failing to recognize the book was a piece of satire. And predictably, even Ian Garry was upset about the whole affair.
“I can hardly call myself an author of an 11-page audible only satire story that was written in 2010. Now that context is key because that was during the FIFA World Cup, when I was working with OK magazine and various different gossip magazines,” she said on Instagram. “. . .That satirical look is, if you listened to it, really silly. anyone that takes it as fact has completely missed the mark, low and behold sarcasm isn’t well taken especially with American audience.”
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After all the online thrashing, Ian Garry promised that he would make everyone swallow their words, which he somewhat managed to do in his last fight, where he managed to get through Geoff Neal via a split decision at UFC 298. Now the undefeated Irishman is gearing up to face the electric Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303 on June 29. And if he can manage to defeat the dynamo in a convincing fashion, it would go a long way towards putting the controversy with his wife in the rear-view mirror.
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