Ian Machado Garry claimed during UFC 303 fight week that Michael “Venom” Page offered a Chute Boxe fighter “thousands of dollars” in an attempt to “infiltrate” the team for information, but “the Chute Boxe family is too tight.” Now, a fighter from the gym says the allegations are true.
Matheus Terra, a 25-year-old lightweight from Uberlandia, said he was approached by a person he knows that lives in London and trains in the same gym of Page. Terra was texted early in the morning on June 3, 26 days before UFC 303, with an offer to spy on Garry.
“He called me and asked if I needed money,” Terra told MMA Fighting. “I thought he was going to invite me to teach seminars there or maybe fight, but he came with this offer. He wanted me to film [his training] and share Ian Garry’s gameplan with them, and they would pay me a $10,000 reward.”
Terra told the person he would answer via text message, so he had a way to prove the legitimacy of the attempt to Garry and Chute Boxe leader Diego Lima. MMA Fighting was provided with texts and a voice message from the conversation.
A few minutes after the call ended, Terra texted the person saying he didn’t think “it was right even though I’m not close to [Garry], he’s a member of my team. It’s about loyalty … It’s a lot of f*cking money, and I need it, but I can’t. Don’t get me wrong, brother.”
The unnamed person wrote back, saying “I knew you wouldn’t do it,” and followed up with a voice message saying, “I wasn’t even going to ask this but the man mentioned money, and I don’t know how Terra is doing with money, and how close Terra is to the guys, but that’s it. Like you said, it’s your team, and when they win, everybody wins.”
Terra said he’s not sure if Page knew about the offer, but thinks he “probably did because they train together and there’s money involved.”
On The MMA Hour, Page addressed the allegations, stating that “I haven’t been told anything” in regards to someone from his team reaching out to a member of Chute Boxe asking for video or inside information.
“I don’t need it, especially for him,” Page said. “I’m trying not to be disrespectful to him because it’s not personal at all, but I don’t feel like I needed to get any extra information to do what I know I can do — or should have done, should I say — in that last fight. It’s not necessary.”
Terra said Chute Boxe head coach Lima was “surprised” when informed of the attempt.
“[Lima] was like, ‘How can this still happen these days?’” Terra said. “He was happy to know that he can count on his fighters to not betray the team for money. Some people show lack of character when there’s money involved. Garry was very happy, too.”
Garry defeated Page via unanimous decision in Las Vegas to boost his MMA record to 15-0, and Terra hopes to have more success in 2024 as well. Terra went 3-1 as an amateur before turning pro in 2023, winning his first two bouts via first-round rear-naked choke.
“My dream is to change the life of my family through this sport,” said Terra, who is set to face Hadson Rodrigues at Jungle Fight 128 on July 20.
Terra’s father fought MMA and trained alongside Evangelista Santos in Uberlandia and introduced him to martial arts through jiu-jitsu. Terra grew up competing on the mats before deciding to make the transition to MMA in 2021.
“My dream is to be in the UFC and become champion there.”
