Irish striker, Ian Garry has boldly suggested former UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards should really consider hanging up his gloves — claiming the Birmingham striker has neither the love or “talent” to compete at the highest level anymore.
Garry, who has been vocal of his own title pursuit recently, returned from his first career loss earlier this year, handing the surging, Carlos Prates a close decision loss to halt the Brazilian’s unbeaten surge in the promotion.
And back in March, Team Renagade BJJ & MMA staple, Edwards fell down the welterweight pecking order, dropping a one-sided one-armed guillotine choke submission loss to the streaking, Sean Brady.
This would come as his second straight defeat after a rematch blemish against Belal Muhammad in their title fight rematch to top UFC 304 last summer.
But linked with an imminent return, Edwards has been tied to a potential showdown with recent big-winner, Ecuadorian finisher, Michael Morales. However, that pairing has yet to be made official at the time of publication.
Ian Garry urges former friend Leon Edwards to retire from the UFC
To boot, amid his sidelining, according to Garry, former champion, Edwards should just call time on his combat sports career already — questioning his desire to fight at the highest level.
“If I was Leon, I’d be retiring,” Ian Garry said during a recent interview with talkSPORT. “He clearly doesn’t have the love for it anymore. And clearly, [he] doesn’t have the talent for it against the best young youth in the division.
“[I would tell him to] just kick it in, say you’re a world champion, go off on to the streets of Birmingham and tell the people the story of what was not what is,” Ian Garry continued.
Gunning for his own title charge next, Garry is likely to miss out on a siege against the newly-minted, Jack Della Maddalena, who is expected to welcome soon-to-be former lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev to the welterweight ranks later this year.
