Ex-UFC champion shares brutally honest preview of Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310: "He will get finished"
Shavkat Rakhmonov will face Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024. The title eliminator bout is generating a ton of buzz, with two unbeaten welterweights set to lock horns.
Reigning champion Belal Muhammad was scheduled to defend his title against Rakhmonov at the upcoming pay-per-view. However, 'Remember the Name' was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection, allowing Garry to step in. While there was initially talk of an interim title being on the line, UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that the victor of the five-round co-headliner will fight Muhammad for the undisputed belt next.
Former UFC champion Michael Bisping recently broke down the Rakhmonov vs. Garry matchup. The Brit first commended Garry for accepting the fight, saying:
“You’ve got to have a lot of respect for Ian Garry: He didn’t have to take this fight. But can he stop the takedown?”
Rakhmonov is known for his grappling prowess, with 10 of his career wins coming via submission. Sharing his take on what Garry needs to do to avoid getting taken down, and the consequences of getting taken down, the UFC Hall of Famer added:
“Ian Garry is probably going to dance around the octagon and use the exact same game plan what he did against Geoff Neal. He’s got to keep Shavkat Rakhmonov off him. If he can’t stop the takedown, he will get finished, and that is no disrespect to Ian Garry."
Watch Michael Bisping's breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry below (4:25):
Rakhmonov is 6-0 in the UFC and 18-0 overall, having finished every opponent he's faced. Meanwhile, Garry is 8-0 in the UFC and 15-0 overall. They currently hold the No.3 and No.7 spots in the UFC welterweight rankings, respectively.
"I will take his 0, and I will take that belt.” - Ian Machado Garry previews Shavkat Rakhmonov fight
Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov briefly trained together at KillCliff FC, and the head coach there, Henri Hooft, has been in both fighters' corners. While Garry has been somewhat combative with past opponents, he admits he and Rakhmonov "both respect each other."
In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, 'The Future' said:
“Honestly, I was pushing for the Shavkat fight. I was pushing for it. It’s undefeated versus undefeated. We’ve trained together. We know how good we are. We both respect each other. He probably respects me a lot less than I respect him, which is okay, which is okay. That’s the way it should be at that point in our careers. But the truth is, I will take his 0, and I will take that belt.”
Check out Ian Machado Garry's comments below (4:43):