Kamaru Usman responds to Ian Machado Garry 'running' allegations: 'Who are you?'

Welterweight Ian Machado Garry suffered his first career loss at UFC 310, losing a decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov.  Garry accepted the fight on short notice after champion Belal Muhammad was forced to withdraw from the scheduled UFC 310 headliner against the "Nomad."  

Leading into the event, Garry accused former champion Kamaru Usman and former interim titleholder Colby Covington of 'running' from a fight with him.  On Monday, Usman responded to Garry's allegations during an appearance on Pound 4 Pound podcast.

“Does he even deserve that?” Usman said. “Leading up to this fight, a lot was being said, made a lot of [things up]. I don’t run from anybody! No one. I run from no one, and I don’t know too many guys that are going to run from anyone, because this is the game!

“We fight to make money. If we don’t fight, we don’t get paid. Anyone in the UFC has to step in there in order to get paid,” Usman continued. “So the notion that ‘Oh yeah, they were scared of me’. Like who are you? Who are you that I, of all people, are scared of you? I guess he was upset because he wanted me to be his late-notice replacement for his fight. Who the f*** is that guy for me to be a late replacement for?”

Usman last fought at UFC 294 in October 2023, losing his middleweight debut in a short-notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev.  Prior to the loss, Usman dropped back-to-back fights to Leon Edwards.  He's expected to return to action at some point in 2025.