UFC Noche scoring, 4 other controversial moments of 2023

Ian Garry dominated headlines in the worst ways in 2023

Ian Machado Garry told the UFC that he was "here to take over," though the way he did that in 2023 was not how he planned. Garry ended the year 3-0 as a top-10 ranked welterweight, but that is not how fans will remember his eventful 2023 campaign.

Throughout his undefeated career, much has been made on Garry's preference to travel internationally and train at multiple camps instead of remaining true to a single team. Towards the end of the year, Garry's controversy began when it was reported that the Irishman was essentially kicked out of Team Renegade.

Garry immediately called out Team Renegade's most notable fighter, welterweight champion Leon Edwards, for being "insecure." However, fighters of Kill Cliff FC — another gym Garry was previously associated with — quickly spoke out on his lack of mannerisms and etiquette in training.

Though that story is enough to unpack on its own, Brendan Allen was the main leader in calling Garry out as a bad teammate. Allen also claimed that an unnamed fighter at Kill Cliff FC has footage of Garry being knocked unconscious in sparring.

Though the teammate issues are enough on their own, the year would get worse for the undefeated welterweight. MMA Twitter, led by Sean Strickland, went wild with the discovery of Garry's wife publishing a book with the title How to be a WAG. A WAG in English slang terminology refers to the wife of a celebrity or athlete, often younger than herself.

With Garry's wife, Layla Machado, being 40 years old and Garry himself just 26, the social media takes on their marriage spun out of control. Expanding on the Twitter wildfire, a wild (and factually false) rumor began circling the platform regarding Garry's decision to legally change his name to include Machado.

To end the year, Garry pulled out of his top-10 fight with Vicente Luque due to contracting pneumonia.