Ian Machado Garry has explained why he hired his wife’s ex-husband as a nutritionist, clarifying a situation that has been the subject of much speculation.
Machado Garry, 26, and his relationship with his wife Layla, 40, have been in the spotlight for several months, with people like Sean Strickland spreading misinformation and encouraging online trolls.
Some fans online had claimed that the Machado Garrys were living with Layla’s ex-husband, Richard Cullen.
She quickly debunked him and now her UFC star husband, who fights this Saturday night in Anaheim, has explained the deal in full.
He said Shakiel Mahjouri: ‘The main reason behind my wife’s ex-husband is that he is a high-performance nutritionist and is damn good at what he does, to the point where every UFC weight cut has been easier and easier.
Ian Machado Garry (right) hired his wife Layla’s (left) ex-husband (center) to be their nutritionist and travel the world with them so as not to drive a wedge between the family.
Cullen (left) was described as “really fucking good at what he does” by Machado Garry
‘We have worked phenomenally together and I am very proud of the work we have done. In that same sense, he is a professional in one aspect, he is also the father of my wife’s son and I never want to be a wedge between a father and a son.
“I know we are going to embark on this adventure of traveling the world, “hey friend, you want to travel the world, be my nutritionist and we can do this all together, you can come see your son whenever you want”, the two of them are going to Disney World this morning. And that’s the energy I have.
He continued: ‘I want to be a good human being, I want to be a good man and I never want to be a wedge between a father and a son.
‘I know that if someone was a wedge between me and my son, I would be furious, I would be furious and I would hate that person.
“I never want that on my conscience. So the truth is that my wife doesn’t have a boyfriend, my wife has an ex-husband and they have a past. I get it, I’m aware of it, everyone has a damn past in their life, everyone does.
‘I don’t want to be a wedge between my wife, her ex-husband and her son and have them go through battles and arguments if I don’t want them around.
“No, I’m a bigger man than that, I understand that there is a child in all of this and he deserves to be prioritized.”
Layla occasionally shares team updates on Instagram with her husband Ian (left) and ex-husband Richard (right).
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland Shockingly Called Layla a ‘Sexual Predator’ Online
Machado Garry and Layla have a young son and the group travels and works together in what has so far been a fairly nomadic approach to the middleweight contender’s training, choosing different gyms around the world to hone their craft.
This week, ahead of his fight with Geoff Neal at UFC 298, Machado Garry responded to those who abused him and his family online, particularly on Strickland.
He said, ‘Listen, we can shoot each other all day, me and another guy, but here’s two things I’ll point out: Sean Strickland called my wife a pedophile.
‘No woman deserves to be called that. My son, people who follow Sean Strickland, commented on a couple of my photos at the beginning of all this saying, “Is the kid even his?” I should never have to hear that. Those two things catch me emotionally.
‘I’ll get mine back. Someday I’m going to beat up Sean Strickland and there’s nothing I can do about it.
“I’ll talk to him, I’ll dance in his face, I’ll do whatever he wants, because the truth is that when one day we’re locked in that cage, he’ll never be able to deal with me.”
Machado Garry boasts an undefeated record in his MMA career, including a 6-0 record in the UFC.
Much of the online negativity surrounding Machado Garry was sparked by the perception of his wife’s short satirical book that resurfaced titled: ‘How to be a WAG.’
Some online suggested it was essentially a guide for ‘gold diggers’ noting the age gap from her subsequent relationship with a professional athlete.
However, Layla, who works as a TV sports presenter, took to Instagram to respond to the backlash.
She said: ‘I wrote a book called ‘How to be a WAG’. Now, that statement itself is a bit of an exaggeration. I can hardly call myself the author of an 11-page audible-only satirical story that was written in 2010.
“That context is key because that was during the FIFA World Cup, when I was working at OK and several different gossip magazines. We were creating this hilarious satire and looking at wives and girlfriends in football.
‘That satirical book, if you listen to it, is really silly and anyone who takes it as fact is completely wrong.
“At the time it was a great success. It came out, it was funny and people got the joke.
