Las Vegas, NV – UFC welterweight Gabriel Green returns to the octagon with a pretty quick turnaround to face up-and-comer Ian Garry at UFC 276 on Saturday night.
Green (11-3) fights in front of a live crowd for the first time in his UFC tenure.
“I haven’t fought in front of a live crowd since 2018. Everything’s been at the APEX and I love, obviously love live crowds. Just having people actually there in the audience I think it’s gonna make me be an even better me than anyone’s ever seen,” Green told Cageside Press along with other media on Wednesday.
Garry (9-0) comes into UFC 276 with a lot of hype behind him with his 2-0 UFC record intact.
“My goal is just to go out there and do what I’m capable of. Or even past what I’m capable of. Rising to a new level. At the end of the day (it’s) God’s plan. So he wants me to win I’m going to win. So let’s go see,” Green said.
Of Garry’s first two UFC bouts Green felt that the level of opponent will rise quite a bit when he steps into the octagon with him on Saturday.
“I mean he’s in the UFC. He doesn’t suck. He’s good, he has skills. His opponents weren’t super good in my opinion. It’s going to be interesting to see how he deals with me who I think is a step up in competition compared to who he’s fought so far,” said Green.
Green’s teammates had actually suggested that he fight Garry at some point.
“Right after I beat Yohan (Lainesse) one of my teammates, Josh Jones, was like ‘You should fight this Ian Garry kid next.’ I looked at him and I was like ‘I have no idea who that is.’ To be honest with you guys I don’t watch a lot of fights. I more listen to my team and my coaches to find out anything about anybody about who I’m going to fight,” Green said.
“I’m more worried about my own skills and building myself as a fighter.”
Garry has touted himself as “The Future” even going as far as having that as a nickname. Green said he thinks his opponent is buying into his own hype a bit.
“You’ve got to walk around with a little bit of cockiness when you’re here and definitely some self-belief. I think he’s getting just a little big headed and might be overlooking some people that he shouldn’t be overlooking,” Green said.
Garry took to twitter in the buildup to the fight and said that he would be the only “gifted” one after the fight to which Green chuckled at.
“Someone told me that and I was like ‘That’s funny’,” Green said.
“Because I’m going to gift him an L.”
Watch the full UFC 276 media day appearance by Gabriel Green above. The event takes place this Saturday, July 2, 2022 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
