At UFC 310, Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov set a UFC record for the highest combined record.
Originally, Rakhmonov was set to face Belal Muhammad for the undisputed welterweight title. However, after Muhammad broke his toe and developed a bone infection, he was forced to withdraw.
As a result, undefeated rising star Ian Machado Garry stepped up to challenge his former training partner, Rakhmonov, for the coveted number one contender position.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Defeats Ian Machado Garry in a Close Battle for Welterweight No. 1 Contender Spot at UFC 310
Heading into the fight, the anticipation between the two 170-pounders was palpable, despite their mutual respect from the outset.
Rakhmonov, kickstarted UFC 310 fight week by claiming he used to submit Ian Machado Garry during training sessions at Kill Cliff, an assertion the Irishman admitted was true.
However, despite this, the tension between the two built up during the ceremonial weigh-ins, where they had an intense face-off. Garry ended the confrontation by confidently declaring he would finish the Kazakh.
The fight went as expected, with Rakhmonov showing a clear grappling advantage over Garry, despite his Chute Boxe training. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old impressed with his defensive wrestling, managing to stuff Rakhmonov’s takedowns. Rakhmonov landed only two of 10 takedown attempts, and at one point, Garry nearly secured a rear-naked choke for the win.
In the end, Rakhmonov earned a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-47 in his favour. UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged that sometimes fights don’t go as expected, but given the stakes, he wasn’t too surprised by the outcomes. Speaking at the post-fight press conference;
“15-0 and 18-0, what that means is you have two really great fighters with a lot at stake, there’s a title (shot) on the line, and you saw a lot of great things from both guys during that fight,”
Ian Machado Garry Questions Judges’ Decision After First Career Loss at UFC 310
UFC President Dana White praised both fighters, but Ian Machado Garry questioned the judges’ scorecards after his first loss. Ian Garry said during his post-fight press conference;
“I’m humble in victory and defeat, and I always have been. But I don’t feel like I lost today. My hand might not have been raised, but I came out and fought a giant. I fought the boogeyman, and I showed that he’s f*cking human,”
“I went out there on three weeks’ notice and saved this event, saved this card against the scariest man in the division. I stopped almost everything he threw at me. I proved I can hang with the best in the division, and tonight, I proved I can absolutely be a champion.”
“He won by opinion, and that’s okay. I can live with that, and I’m very happy with my performance tonight,”
The co-main event wasn’t the only bout to spark controversy over the scorecards. The heavyweight clash between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov also led to Dana White having a conversation with the commissioners.
Featured image credits to Embed From Getty Images
