Despite being hazed by [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag], [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] took the high road when asked about the recent controversy surrounding him.
Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has been the subject of plenty of criticism and negativity, which only increased after he withdrew from his fight against Vicente Luque on Saturday’s UFC 296 main card.
Some may call it karma after Garry accused former foe Magny of being a child abuser, taking his pre-fight press conference comments out of context. Garry defeated Magny by lopsided decision in their fight at UFC 292, and despite Garry’s comments having repercussions, Magny isn’t the vengeful type.
“If I’m being honest, it’s unfortunate,” Magny told Middle Easy. “Having gone through what I got through based off of some of the statements and antics that Ian Garry said during fight week, it definitely caused some personal turbulence in my life, so to speak. But at the end of the day, I have to take accountability for the things that left my mouth and take accountability for the words that left my mouth.
“I definitely made statements that he was able to spin and play out in a different way than what I have intended it to. At the end of the day, that’s on me. I was the one who made those statements, made those statements publicly. How someone else perceived them or spun them, that’s out of my control, but I kind of gave him that opportunity to be able to do so. I have to own that fact and live with it. I’m fortunate now that like the majority of that stuff is behind me. That didn’t affect me too drastically when it comes to my family life and that kind of thing.”
Prior to withdrawing from UFC 296 due to pneumonia, Garry opted not to attend Wednesday’s media day. The likes of Chael Sonnen lambasted him for not facing the heat, which stems from no longer being welcome to Team Renegade, to his comments on Luque, and his wife’s book labeled, “How to be a WAG” – a term used when referencing the wives and girlfriends of famous athletes.
But despite all that, Magny doesn’t think Garry deserves this much resentment.
“It’s unfortunate to see someone’s personal life be drug up the way his life has been drug up and all the stuff that he has to go through currently,” Magny said. “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, especially when you consider the entire family dynamic and all the people are involved in there. Him and his wife may have whatever going on, but at the end of the day, regardless of what’s going on, they share a child together.
“That child deserves the right to grow up knowing he has two loving parents. Again, all this stuff drug out into the media, out in the open, that kind of thing, I don’t think anyone is deserving of that regardless what they may or may not have done to me. I’m not going to sit back and necessarily take joy in seeing that play out with somebody.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.