With UFC 310 just days away, Ian Garry has stirred the pot ahead of his highly-anticipated welterweight clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov. Speaking about the fight during an episode of UFC 310 Countdown, Garry said a former conversation involving Rakhmonov suggests that the Kazakhstan fighter knows the Irishman is destined for UFC gold.
“Me and Shavkat (Rakhmonov) trained a lot together,” Garry revealed. “I think he’s a phenomenal fighter. [Kill Cliff FC coach] Henri Hooft told me Shavkat Rakhmonov and him had a conversation, and he said, ‘Shavkat knows you’re going to be the champion one day.’ But he says, ‘Me first and him later.’ So it’s unfortunate that one of us is going to have to lose, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that he’s not getting his hand raised.”
Garry and Rakhmonov have a history, having trained side-by-side at Kill Cliff FC gym in Florida over the past 18 months. Their relationship will now play out in the co-main event of UFC 310, where the stakes are high in what is billed as a title eliminator.
This fight marks another milestone for Garry, who enters the Octagon as the No. 7-ranked welterweight. He was originally booked to fight Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Fight Night Tampa but withdrew for this larger opportunity against the unbeaten Rakhmonov. Buckley will now fight former interim champion Colby Covington instead.
Despite his confidence, Garry knows the challenge ahead won’t be easy. Rakhmonov, the UFC’s No. 6-ranked welterweight, holds an impeccable 100% finishing rate in his MMA career.
In the lead-up to this fight, UFC analyst and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping weighed in, claiming that Garry will likely be finished if taken to the ground by Rakhmonov.
“If Shavkat gets him down, it’s over,” Bisping stated, emphasizing the danger Garry faces against the grappling-heavy style of his opponent.
Still, Garry remains determined to leave his mark. “It’s unfortunate that one of us is going to have to lose,” said Garry. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that he’s not getting his hand raised.”
Fans won’t have to wait long to find out who prevails when the unbeaten Garry and Rakhmonov meet this weekend in Las Vegas. The winner will likely punch their ticket to a future title shot in the loaded UFC welterweight division.
