OKTAGON Champ Will Fleury Sounds off on Controversial Loss, UFC Aspirations, and More

Will Fleury is not holding back. Following a highly controversial stoppage loss that cost him his OKTAGON light heavyweight title. Fleury expressed immense frustration over the officiating of his recent title defense, the ensuing rematch politics, and his own future in MMA.

In a candid interview, the former champion addressed the messy aftermath of his latest bout, while also offering brutally honest thoughts on fellow Irish standout Ian Machado Garry and the current, deeply polarized landscape of Irish combat sports.

A Premature Stoppage and Rematch Politics

According to Fleury, the narrative surrounding his recent light heavyweight title loss does not match reality. While he acknowledges getting clipped and dropped in the second round, he fiercely defends his ability to intelligently protect himself during the sequence. After hitting the mat, Fleury immediately tied his opponent up in a body lock, preventing any further damage. To his absolute shock, the referee intervened. He recalled the surreal moment of the referee physically pulling him away from a safe defensive position.

"I attached to him and he's on both of his hands now and I've got his body weight pulled forward," Fleury explained. "And that's when the referee decides to step in. But it's like he has a good 10 or 15 seconds of work to do now to be able to hit me again. I'm going to get up. I'm going to scramble out of this."

The situation was made worse, Fleury claims, by the referee's immediate realization of his own mistake. "I turn from him to stand and the referee pins both my shoulders to the mat because he doesn't want me standing up, because he's fully aware that like, oh, I probably stopped this a bit early."

Now, Fleury is dealing with the political fallout. Instead of an immediate rematch at OKTAGON 100, his opponent is allegedly attempting to leverage the controversial win into a heavyweight title shot. Fleury finds the situation absurd, noting that he practically cleared out both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions over the last year. "I don't want to be the guy here complaining and moaning about this," Fleury stated. "Give me my rematch and I'll put it right. That's all I want."

UFC Confidence and the State of Irish MMA

Despite the promotional hurdles, Fleury's stock among fans has never been higher, with many clamoring to see him in the UFC. Fleury revealed he has four fights remaining on his current OKTAGON contract, which will keep him busy until the end of 2027. However, he fully agrees with fans who believe he could effortlessly dismantle the UFC's heavyweight roster, pointing to his dominant win over Martin Budai as proof of his elite caliber.

"I think it's pretty obvious I could do very well there," Fleury said. "But I now have four fights ahead of me and it's on me to go back. Like really I'm just focused on what's right in front of me and I want to get that belt back so badly."

The conversation eventually shifted to the complex state of Irish MMA, specifically the public perception of UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry. Fleury praised Garry’s undeniable skills inside the cage but offered blunt advice regarding his public persona. He noted that Garry makes it unnecessarily difficult for fans to support him, often coming across as out of touch when complaining about the rigors of media obligations or early mornings.

"We live a very privileged life as fighters. We're very lucky to be able to do this and we're very lucky to be able to make money from our passion," Fleury pointed out. "I think like losing perspective on that kind of makes it hard for fans to really buy into what you are and who you are."

Fleury concluded that Garry desperately needs a competent PR team to help him navigate his image. He yearns for a return to the traditional Irish "underdog" mentality that defined the nation's athletes long before the polarizing theatrics of the Conor McGregor era took over the culture. For now, Fleury is focused on maintaining his own authentic voice, securing his rematch, and taking his light heavyweight belt back by force.