UFC vet known for spinning kicks, reacts to Shavkat Rakhmonov's staggering attempt of the same at UFC 310

At UFC 310 last weekend, undefeated Kazakh warrior Shavkat Rakhmonov kept his "O" intact as he faced fellow unbeaten rising star Ian Machado Garry in a five-round co-main event battle. The fight was tooth-and-nail with Rakhmonov narrowly snagging the early rounds while Garry came back strong near the end.

One of the highlights of the fight was a picture-perfect spinning wheel kick by Rakhmonov that just missed Garry's face by a hair. The near-miss generated a collective "oooh" from the crowd as the complexion of the fight would have drastically changed if it landed.

Sportscenter posted about it on Instagram, saying:

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"SHAVKAT WAS THAT CLOSE TO LANDING THIS SPINNING HEAD KICK 😳 #UFC310"

Veteran UFC lightweight Edson Barboza, owner of perhaps the greatest spinning wheel kick KO in MMA history, was utterly impressed by the kick and commented:

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"😱👏👏👏"

Edson Barboza's comment. [Screensot courtesy: @sportscenter on Instagram]

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To leave Barbosa speechless with your spinning wheel kick means your technique has to be remarkably on-point. Back in 2012, Barboza produced a highlight that will forever stay within the annals of MMA lore. His spinning wheel kick KO of Terry Etim was the most precise, well-timed, and powerful kick you'll ever see in all of martial arts.

Check out a video of Edson Barboza's kick below:

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Shavkat Rakhmonov narrowly beats Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310, keeps his title shot and undefeated record intact

Shavkat Rakhmonov was scheduled to face Belal Muhammad for his UFC welterweight title at UFC 310 last weekend. As back luck would have it, 'Remember the Name' had to pull out due to injury. Instead of sitting it out and waiting for the champion to heal, 'Nomad' chose to put his title shot on the line against the surging undefeated star Ian Machado Garry.

As expected in a bout between two unbeaten rising stars, the fight was closely contested as they come. Rakhmonov employed a lot of clinch fighting in the first round, trying to take Garry down. The Irishman was good at thwarting the Kazakh's takedown attempts but ate a massive right hand near the end of the round.

This trend continued into the second round, with Rakhmonov's aggressive clinch fighting and takedown attempts winning him the round. Come round three, Garry went on the offensive and employed a lot of jabs and leg kicks, which appeared to have slowed Rakhmonov down.

Come round 4, 'Nomad' shook things up and instead of going the clinch route, he changed levels and shot for a takedown, which he successfully finished. Garry managed to get up but was taken down again after a missed spinning back fist.

In the fifth and final round, Garry marvelously countered a single-leg attempt from Rakhmonov and took the Kazakh's back. From there, 'The Future' attempted the rear-naked choke multiple times, coming close to finishing it at least once. It was too late, however, as 'Nomad' secured a lead early and won the fight via a unanimous decision after the bell rang.

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