Ian Garry is OUT of UFC 296 due to pneumonia, with showdown against Vicente Luque scrapped following chaotic build-up including ‘How to be a WAG’ controversy involving his wife

Ian Garry has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 296 showdown with Vicente Luque due to pneumonia.

Garry, who failed to show up for media day commitments in Las Vegas on Wednesday, confirmed the battle is over as he continues to battle illness.

'I have pneumonia. They tried everything to help me. Ultimately, the UFC doctor said there's no chance I can fight,” he told Ariel Helwani.

“The UFC doctor called. This irritates me more than anyone. I want to fight. It's my favorite thing to do,” he added.

The Irish rising star has been under a brighter spotlight than ever leading up to UFC 296 for a number of reasons. His wife Layla Machado Garry's 2010 short book “How to be a WAG” resurfaced and led to fans and fellow fighters like Sean Strickland and Colby Covington posting a number of taunts.

Some of the ridicule crossed the line into abuse and Garry later revealed he was worried about his family's safety when he traveled to the US.

The supposedly satirical 'How to be a WAG' book was written by Gary's wife, 40, as a tongue-in-cheek way to coach women to trap wealthy athletes in a relationship.

Layla responded to the trolling she and her husband, 26, were subjected to, saying: 'I wrote a book called 'How to be a WAG'. Now, that statement itself is a bit of an exaggeration. I can hardly call myself the author of an eleven-page audible-only satire story written in 2010.

'That context is crucial, because that was during the World Cup, when I worked at OK and at various tabloid magazines. We were making this hilarious satire looking at wives and girlfriends in football.

'If you listen to it, that satirical book is really silly and anyone who takes it as fact has completely missed the point. At the time it was a great success. We hit it off, it was funny and people got the joke.”

The book wasn't the only distraction for Garry. There has been fascination in some quarters over reports that his wife's ex-husband, Richard Cullen, works as Garry's nutritionist.

There was also a very public row over him parting ways with Renegade Gym in Birmingham.

Leon Edwards and his coach say Garry was kicked out because he didn't fit in with the culture, while the Irishman insisted it was because Edwards' coach felt insecure about a top welterweight training so closely with his champion.

Given the increased interest surrounding Garry and the fact that this was a brilliant match at UFC 296, it is a huge shame that the bout will not take place.

Saturday night's opponent Vicente Luque reacted magnanimously to the news of the withdrawal, writing: 'First of all, I wish the best recovery. A speedy recovery to him and the best to his family – and that's a real shame.

“I was so ready for this fight. I had a great training camp. Anyone who sees me on social media sees a little bit of what I've done. They know how ready I am for this fight. The weight loss is going so, so well – the easiest weight loss I've ever had in my career.

'I have my whole team here supporting me. A lot of guys came out in this fight. A lot of people supported me to come and watch the fight too, and unfortunately that's not going to happen.

'It's out of my control. Everything I could do, everything I had control over in my work and that I really put my heart into, I did. I gave everything. Unfortunately, we can't really control everything.

“Like I said, I wish the best. I wish recovery for Ian. Now it's time for me to rest. I did have a tough training camp.'

It remains to be seen if the UFC will attempt to find a late replacement to fight Luque.