Ex-UFC champ questions excitement factor of Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry fight at UFC 310: "It’s a good fight on paper"
A former UFC champion recently gave his take on the Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry co-headliner at UFC 310, asserting that despite Rakhmonov's 100% finish rate, Garry's fighting style makes their contest less exciting.
Rakhmonov was scheduled to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title at UFC 310. However, a bone infection in his left foot forced the reigning champion to pull out of the fight. Following Muhammad's withdrawal, Garry stepped in to face the No.3-ranked Rakhmonov in a No.1 contender's bout, pitting two unbeaten welterweights against one another.
In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Kamaru Usman discussed the Rakhmonov vs. Garry fight with co-host Henry Cejudo. Usman pointed out that fans typically get enthusiastic about Garry's fights, which later turn out to be lackluster, taking a dig at the Irishman's fighting style.
''I like the matchup, but we have a tendency to get excited for these Ian Garry matchups, and they don’t turn out the way we think... It’s just the way that Ian Garry likes to fight... Make it look pretty to where you have a guy like Shavkat, who is kind of a seek and destroy type of guy. He wants to get into the action. So, I like the matchup, of course.''
Usman added:
''I think it’s a good fight. Shavkat is going to come forward. He’s going to try to seek and destroy as he always does, and Ian Garry is going to move around to create the space, to try to find the good strikes. So, it’s a good fight on paper. I don’t know how it’s going to look on fight night.”
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below (53:19):
Kamaru Usman addresses the "backstory" of Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry bout
While Kamaru Usman doesn't think the Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry bout at UFC 310 will be all that exciting, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' admits that the context of the matchup is intriguing.
Notably, Rakhmonov and Garry trained together at KillCliff FC and are familiar with each other's styles. In the same podcast episode, Usman said:
''It’s an intriguing fight because there’s a little bit of backstory. So, I think it’s going to make for a little bit more animosity as we get closer to the fight, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not the most electrifying fight that we’ve ever seen like we’re expecting.” [56:18]
Watch a clip of Rakhmonov and Garry sparring below: