Watch: Ian Garry reacts to Dricus du Plessis title win against Sean Strickland

Ian Machado Garry isn’t above some schadenfreude, at least when it comes to Sean Strickland.

The Irishman, unbeaten in his professional career, has been involved in a war of words with the now former middleweight champion for several months now, with Strickland again targeting Garry with a verbal salvo in his pre-fight comments to the media ahead of last Saturday’s UFC 297 event in Toronto.

But after watching the highlights of Du Plessis’ five-round decision win to claim middleweight gold, Garry indicated that he wasn’t impressed by either man’s performance.

Reaction: Strickland vs Du Plessis pic.twitter.com/eFQVSIy58O

— “The Future” Ian Machado Garry (@iangarryMMA) January 21, 2024

“I’m watching the highlights of the Sean Strickland and Du Plessis fight,” Garry says in the video posted to social media on Sunday. “I hope Sean gets sparked unconscious. There is no way I ever would have bet against Du Plessis losing this fight considering he mauled Robert Whittaker — and Sean Strickland isn’t half the fighter Robert Whittaker is.”

As the fight went on, Garry became less impressed.

“The f*cking state of this,” he said. “Zero technique. Slugging it out. Oh my God. I feel like I’m watching two amateurs fight. Oh my God. If I ever have a fight like that, please tell me to retire.”

Garry closes the video by suggesting that his goal of fighting Strickland over the next 12 or so months “is now even more available.”

First things first, though, as Garry faces Geoff Neal at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California on February 17.