By FCF Staff

After verbally sparring with Colby Covington for months, Ian Machado Garry is blasting the former interim welterweight champ, following his decision to fight Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa.

Through social media and interviews, Garry repeatedly called for a bout with the controversial contender. The fight never materialized, and ultimately, Garry was booked to fight Buckley on December 14th.

But, after champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from a December 7th fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Garry was moved to fight the rising star at UFC 310. Covington was then booked to fight Buckley.

During a recent appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show“, Garry blasted Covington over what’s transpired (quotes via MMA Junkie.com).

“I was seething. How do you think I feel? Because I’ve been screaming and shouting about fighting that man from the rafters. This man’s made videos about me, my wife, my kids – talking about all this sh*t. And here’s this man avoiding me like the plague, and then the second I book in against the scariest man in the division, he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight in Florida.’

“It just proves, it just shows that he’s a coward, that he wants nothing to do with me. The truth is I already know I’ve beaten him. I know I’ve already mentally beaten him. He’s weak. He’s an absolute coward, and I believe he’s going to go out there and get absolutely steamrolled by Joaquin Buckley. I think Buckley starches him.”

Garry (15-0) has won all 8 of his UFC fights to date and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Michael Page in June.

Covington (17-4), meanwhile, hasn’t competed since last December when he lost via unanimous decision to now former champ, Leon Edwards.

UFC 310 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.