UFC 303 Results: Ian Machado Garry wins over Michael Page by a unanimous decision
Ian Machado Garry won the UFC 303 pay per view opener by avoiding Michael Page’s tricky strikes and a tight grappling match.
By Matthew Wells
Jun 30, 2024 02:57 AM
Ian Machado Garry played on his feet for just enough time to switch to the ground game and grind out victory against Michael Page.
Garry (8-0 UFC, 15-0 MMA) knew that his best chance of winning would be through grappling. That’s what he did to win a unanimous decision over Page at the UFC 303 opening card event held at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
As Page moved over to Garry, in his side-stance, after referee Mark Smith had signaled the start of the fight, the crowd chanted “MVP”.
Both men tried a few single punches, but neither hit the target. Garry, however, had the first important moment. He got a takedown after a kicked was caught.
Garry secured a body triangle by working his way around Page’s back. The rear-naked choke had been locked in a second after the arm went under the neck. Page was able to escape the choke but still had to deal Garry’s punches up until the horn.
Page stunned Garry early in Round 2 with a right-handed strike. Page evaded Garry’s attacks by darting in and out. Page missed a swing and Garry was able to latch onto it. Garry dropped to the ground and tried to secure a leglock, but failed.
Page landed a quick two-punch combination after returning to his feet. Page, who had missed with a flying leg, exploded with another combo right before the horn.
Page continued to search for strikes on his feet with five minutes left. A tense clash forced the fight to be fought on the floor with Page in the lead. Garry managed to sneak in some solid elbows while using a body triangle.
The fight resumed standing midway through the first round. However, Garry quickly took Garry down and scrambled back to the rear. Page stood on the fence with Garry on his back. The crowd became restless as time ticked down.
Garry stated in his post-fight interviews that he believed his best route to a victory was to work on the floor, rather than try to trade with Page. While speaking to Joe Rogan, he made it clear that he was aiming for the title.
Garry declared, “I’m going for the world title. I’m 15-0.” “Undefeated. Unstoppable. I don’t really care who is next or where. I will be a champion of the world. The future is certain and I will be chasing that belt.
Garry’s undefeated streak was maintained with this result. Garry defeated Geoff Neal in a split-decision at UFC 298. Garry is now 8-0 with the UFC and firmly in the running for the welterweight championship.
The latest UFC 303 results are:
- Ian Machado Garry def. Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault by knockout (punches). Round 1, 1:25
- Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson via unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain by knockout (punch). Round 2, 1:22
- Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri by knockout (punches). Round 1, 0 :19
- Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Martin Buday def. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Rei Tsuruya def. Carlos Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
To learn more about the event, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.