Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Talent Agency have added Ian Machado Garry to their roster. The next UFC welterweight **** le challenger joins heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall as only the second UFC fighter to work with the agency.
After signing Aspinall in March, Matchroom’s Hearn knew it was a matter of time before more UFC stars came knocking at his door. However, with Garry, Hearn was the one to pursue Ireland's latest superstar contender, he said. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that they put pen to paper, preceding Wednesday’s official announcement. Speaking in-studio on "The Ariel Helwani Show," Hearn explained how the deal came to be.
"We've taken our time, to be honest with you," Hearn told Uncrowned. "Because what we've done with Tom has been quite incredible, and we'll come back to that. Through that signing, we had over a dozen UFC or MMA guys come to us and say, 'How do we be a part of this? Can we get representation with you guys?'
"We're a sports agency. We're looking to represent high-profile global stars across sport and entertainment, not MMA. But of all the approaches we had, I don't even think Ian was an approach. I think I actually reached out to him because I know his team and everybody around him.
"I looked at this guy for a long time, and I love his spirit. I love his personality. He's a good, tall, good-looking guy who speaks incredibly well. I've long felt this is a guy I actually think has the attributes to be a superstar. As I learn more about the sport, how good he is, we met, we had a lot of deep conversations, talked a lot of strategy. Then of course, he finally secured the big fight, and particularly with our work in Ireland and understanding the country, the audience, how passionate they are for their own, I just felt like this was the guy we wanted to bring to the team, and I couldn't be happier."
After signing Aspinall in March, Matchroom’s Hearn knew it was a matter of time before more UFC stars came knocking at his door. However, with Garry, Hearn was the one to pursue Ireland's latest superstar contender, he said. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that they put pen to paper, preceding Wednesday’s official announcement. Speaking in-studio on "The Ariel Helwani Show," Hearn explained how the deal came to be.
"We've taken our time, to be honest with you," Hearn told Uncrowned. "Because what we've done with Tom has been quite incredible, and we'll come back to that. Through that signing, we had over a dozen UFC or MMA guys come to us and say, 'How do we be a part of this? Can we get representation with you guys?'
"We're a sports agency. We're looking to represent high-profile global stars across sport and entertainment, not MMA. But of all the approaches we had, I don't even think Ian was an approach. I think I actually reached out to him because I know his team and everybody around him.
"I looked at this guy for a long time, and I love his spirit. I love his personality. He's a good, tall, good-looking guy who speaks incredibly well. I've long felt this is a guy I actually think has the attributes to be a superstar. As I learn more about the sport, how good he is, we met, we had a lot of deep conversations, talked a lot of strategy. Then of course, he finally secured the big fight, and particularly with our work in Ireland and understanding the country, the audience, how passionate they are for their own, I just felt like this was the guy we wanted to bring to the team, and I couldn't be happier."
4 months ago
