Ian Garry’s public swipe at Muhammad — “Muhammad is an idiot, tried to outbox a boxer,” he said in an interview published by Telecom Asia Sport — crystallizes a growing rift inside mixed martial arts: the tension between pure striking technique and the eclectic, hybrid approach that has long defined the sport. Garry, a rising welterweight noted for his boxing-derived striking, framed his barb around more than tactics; it was a provocation meant to draw lines around authenticity, preparation and spectacle.

Garry’s comment comes as MMA increasingly borrows from boxing, both stylistically and commercially. Fighters are training with elite boxing coaches to sharpen footwork and punching precision, while promoters chase crossover audiences and pay-per-view dollars. “When a fighter tries to compete in a discipline that’s not their strength, it can look foolish,” Garry told Telecom Asia Sport. “Fans want specialists to be respected for what they do, not for playing a part in somebody else’s movie.”

That point — that stylistic purity can be a marketable asset — underpins the modern promotional playbook, but it also reveals hazards. Trash talk fuels interest and sells tickets, yet it risks alienating regulators, sponsors and mainstream audiences when it crosses into disrespect or worse. The same week Garry’s jibe circulated, other flashpoints put MMA’s image under strain. Conor McGregor was reportedly suspended for 18 months, a sanction that raises fresh questions about accountability at the sport’s top tiers. Light-heavyweight Ivan Prochazka’s emotional reaction after Alexander Pereira’s decision win over Magomed Ankalaev, meanwhile, reminded observers that combat sports are also raw, human drama — not only bravado.

Perhaps most jarring was Arman Tsarukyan’s widely condemned remark that “it’s a man’s sport, women should be at home,” which has sparked an outcry on social media and drawn criticism from fighters, advocates and brands. The cumulative effect of these episodes has commercial implications: broadcasters and sponsors, already wary after past scandals, may demand stricter conduct clauses, while new audiences — particularly women and younger fans — could be turned off by what appears as entrenched misogyny.

Industry insiders say the moment demands recalibration. Promoters face a balancing act: cultivate the visceral appeal of conflict without tolerating conduct that undermines growth. Fighters like Garry use rhetoric to define themselves against rivals and to sharpen narratives ahead of big fights, but the tenor of that rhetoric matters. As one talent manager put it privately, “Line-drawing isn’t just moral — it’s fiscal. Brands want the thrill, not the scandal.”

Beyond business consequences, these controversies reflect broader social conversations about masculinity, respect and the commercialization of violence. MMA thrives on the collision between disciplines and personalities, but as it seeks legitimacy on the global sports stage, pundits and stakeholders say it must professionalize conduct, protect its athletes and broaden its appeal — or risk losing the very mainstream platforms that have turned fighters into global stars.