10 seconds. It’s possible for a UFC fight to end in that much time. There are eight fights that are proof of that. Apparently, it’s also possible to brief Neymar Jr. about a two-hour-long live show in that much time. However, it’s not guaranteed that the Al-Hilal star will execute what he registered in those 10 seconds once the cameras start rolling. Ask Layla Machado Garry. After all, that’s precisely what she had to do a few years ago; a series of events that made for “the most fun I’ve ever had.” 

Layla Anna-Lee, as she’s more commonly called, is undefeated Irish welterweight contender Ian Garry’s wife. And as a sports presenter, she has an impressive resume, perhaps even more so than Garry’s. Considering the 26-year-old edged past Geoff Neal at UFC 298 this past weekend, that’s an interesting claim. But that aside, she came into the UFC limelight after writing the book, ‘How to Be a WAG.’ Since then, Layla has been facing quite some criticism. However, her story about her interaction with Neymar Jr. is as far from controversial as it can get.

Neymar Jr. almost didn’t make it on time for Layla Anna-Lee’s show

As the voice of the London 2012 Olympic Ceremony and Idris Elba’s co-host on the Best FIFA Football Awards, Layla was picked by Red Bull TV to host a show around the semifinals and world finals of Neymar Jr’s Five. She wrote about a call with the show’s director just a fortnight before landing in Brazil. Per her blog, “Neymar Jr wanted to be part of the show. I didn’t believe a word of it. I was confident that when we arrived, it would all be called off,” she explained. But when the day arrived, so did Neymar.

After making herself believe that the Brazilian wouldn’t be able to make it, that she would go on air alone, Neymar’s helicopter landed. Describing the atmosphere, she wrote, “Ten minutes before live, I’m beckoned upstairs to greet and brief Neymar Jr. Time was tight. It took forever to get to his room, and he wasn’t even there yet. I watched the clock ticking down and could hear the producers in my ear panicking.” After a while, she gave in to the panic, too, and rushed back to the cameras. That’s when she got the surprise of her life.

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With 10 seconds to go, Neymar was standing right beside her. The 10-second briefing went like this, per Anna-Lee: “I scrap his lines, make a last-minute change to the script, and say, ‘NEYMAR ‘você vai falar seu nome’ [Just say your name]. I’ll say Layla Anna-Lee, and I’ll point to you, and you just say, ‘I’M NEYMAR JR.’ That’s all.’ 3, 2, 1, and we’re live.” However, once they were live and the camera panned to the Copa America winner, he forgot to say his name. But that hilarious moment, alongside the other heart-warming ones, made it special.

Interestingly, this was not the only interaction Layla had with the Brazilian. In 2017, Anna-Lee interviewed Neymar for Red Bull, asking him about his preparations and thoughts on the 2018 FIFA World Cup, among other things. What’s equally interesting is how the UFC welterweight fighter’s wife burst into the MMA scene.

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How did Garry’s wife gain so much attention over the past few months?

Ian Garry’s wife found herself a target for MMA fans after some comments former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland made. Strickland commented on the welterweight’s marriage, accusing Layla Anna-Lee of manipulating Garry into marrying her. The fact that Anna-Lee is 40 years old and wrote a book titled, ‘How to be a WAG,’ only further acted as ammunition for the former champ’s rant.

This led to the couple threatening to press charges against Strickland, hoping to quiet the middleweight down. Unfortunately for the couple, it only added to the intensity of the American’s rants. Following Strickland’s outbursts on X about Garry and his wife, the welterweight has even said he wishes to fight Strickland in the future.

What do you make of the controversy surrounding Ian Garry and his wife? Should Anna-Lee’s other achievements be receiving more spotlight than her now-controversial book? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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