UFC welterweight prospect Bryan Battle doesn't see anything special in the arsenal of ranked contender Ian Garry.
Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion, has extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 with eight victories since signing with mixed martial arts' leading promotion in 2021.
The latter half of the Irishman's UFC career thus far has seen him rise the ranks against stiffer competition, defeating notable names in Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and Michael "Venom" Page en route to #7 in the pecking order at 170 pounds.
Despite that run and his firm prediction of title success soon enough, not everyone has been impressed by "The Future" and the manner with which he's emerged victorious in two fights this year.
That evidently includes a welterweight peer in Battle...
Battle Likes His Chances Against Garry
During a recent interview with MMA News' Ryan Jarrell, Battle assessed the skillset of Garry, who sits among the top contenders that the TUF 29 winner has his sights on for the future.
He's not — I mean, you've gotta give a motherf*cker credit where credit's due. He's undefeated. He's been undefeated in the UFC," Battle said. "One thing I've come to appreciate in the UFC is no matter how someone looks to an extent, if they're being successful in the UFC, then that means they're good.
Eye test and like, my opinion, is that he's not that good," Battle continued. "But you have to give credit where credit's due. He's out there, he's doing his thing. He's fast. He's sharp. I think I would whoop his ass, but you know, whatever. Hopefully he stays undefeated until we fight each other. Hey, I'd be interested to see how he does against an elite grappler, you know what I'm saying?
Perhaps Battle will get the chance to prove his remarks correct inside the Octagon down the line.
The first step in his pursuit of closing the gap on Garry in the welterweight division comes later this month in the French capital, where "The Butcher" is tasked with stalling the rise of another highly touted up-and-comer in City Kickboxing's Kevin Jousset.
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