Tag: Shavkat Rakhmonov

Ian Machado Garry ahead of Shavkat Rakhmonov fight: ‘I will take his 0, and I will take that belt’

Ian Machado Garry is confident he’ll be the first to beat Shavkat Rakhmonov.

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] is confident he’ll be the first to beat [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag].

Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) takes on Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight bout, which co-headlines UFC 310 on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both undefeated, Machado Garry and Rakhmonov have trained together before at Kill Cliff FC. According to DraftKings, Machado Garry is currently a +270 underdog against Rakhmonov, who’s a -340 favorite.

“Honestly, I was pushing for the Shavkat fight,” Machado Garry said on his YouTube channel. “I was pushing for it. (It’s) undefeated vs. 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 OK … which is OK. 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.”

Machado Garry originally was scheduled to face Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 main event on Dec. 14 – a matchup he admits he was initially disappointed with due to Buckley being lower ranked.

But after Rakhmonov lost out on his title fight against welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310, the promotion called Machado Garry to take the fight, and he happily obliged.

“Anyone, anywhere, anytime,” Machado Garry said. “I am training to be the best Ian Machado Garry I possibly can be. I am preparing myself for every single stance, every single style. I am coming to take this division over, and show the world the gifts God gave me.

“I believe my greatness is about to be witnessed by the entire world, and it’s on me to showcase it. It’s on me to prepare the best way I possibly can. It’s on me to take everything into my own hands, and I’m excited by it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310: Michael Chiesa sees Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry going the distance

Michael Chiesa sees Shavkat Rakhmonov’s finishing streak coming to an end at UFC 310.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] sees [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]’s finishing streak coming to an end at UFC 310.

Unbeaten welterweights Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) square off in a five-round co-main event Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

A UFC analyst and welterweight, Chiesa picks Rakhmonov to beat Machado Garry but doesn’t believe he’ll stop him.

“I’ll keep it short, you know? There’s some sparring footage that came out of Ian Garry and Shavkat,” Chiesa told Sportskeeda. “I think that they’re both going to be very familiar with each other, and I will go out on a limb and say I think this fight goes to decision. I think these guys are familiar with each other enough to where they’re going to negate a few of the attacks, and it’s going to be a matter of who can come in there and throw a new wrinkle into their game, to throw off the opponent.

“I think for Shavkat, if he can find a way to get this fight to the mat, I think that could benefit him a lot. And for Ian, I think that it’s just going to be a matter of, I think that if he can change stances a little bit, use the kicks, I think he can have a lot of success. But when it’s all said and done, and the dust settles, I think Shavkat walks out with his hand raised and is the rightful No. 1 contender.”

Chiesa (17-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) competes on the same night as Rakhmonov vs. Garry when he takes on Max Griffin. In his most recent outing, the Season 15 “Ultimate Fighter” winner snapped a three-fight losing skid by submitting Tony Ferguson in the first round at UFC on ESPN 7 in August.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Analyzing UFC welterweight shake up: Rakhmonov vs. Machado Garry, Covington vs. Buckley

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry and Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley? We discuss these UFC matchups on “Spinning Back Clique.”

A lot is going on in the UFC’s welterweight division.

With UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] withdrawing from his first title defense at UFC 310 due to injury, the promotion was forced to make some big changes.

These changes were two important bookings: [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] was pulled from his fight against [autotag] Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] on Dec. 14, and matched up with [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag], who was supposed to challenge Muhammad. With Machado Garry out, Buckley was given former title challenger [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] for the Dec. 14 Fight Night in Tampa, Fla.

Were these the matchups the UFC welterweight division needed? Which fighters will come out victorious?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous George discuss the pair of key welterweight bouts going down next month.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

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Kamaru Usman: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry only exciting ‘on paper’

Kamaru Usman won’t be surprised if the UFC 310 co-main event is “not the most electrifying fight that we’ve ever seen.”

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] isn’t confident that [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] will deliver action at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight co-main event Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rakhmonov vs. Garry is a battle between two undefeated top contenders. Despite Rakhmonov boasting a 100 percent finish rate, Usman thinks Garry’s recent performances won’t result in the exciting matchup everyone is projecting.

“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,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “I’m being honest. Did I not say the same thing about the Michael ‘Venom’ Page fight? That’s not a knock. It’s just the way that Ian Garry likes to fight. Ian Garry is a guy that loves space. He loves to make it look pretty. He loves to run off his combinations and move, move, move.

“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. … 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.”

Having trained with both fighters at Kill Cliff FC, former UFC welterweight champion Usman didn’t address the rumors of Rakhmonov getting the best of Garry in practice. He expects their history on the training mats to add a little spice to the buildup.

“It’s an intriguing fight because there’s a little bit of backstory,” Usman said. “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.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Ian Machado Garry: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 310 co-main event

Ian Machado Garry is the betting underdog against fellow unbeaten UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rkhmonov, but by how much?

After welterweight champion Belal Muhammad fell out of the UFC 310 main event, [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] stepped in for a five-round, non-title matchup with fellow undefeated contender [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] that UFC CEO Dana White says will be a title eliminator.

Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov preview

Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is on the cusp of being the only Irish athlete outside of Conor McGregor to fight for a UFC championship. He earned the opportunity through a lengthy winning streak to begin his promotional tenure, and his run includes the likes of Michael Page, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) already secured his opportunity to challenge for the belt but is putting that on the line by taking another fight. He has no reason to lack confidence, however, as thus far Rakhmonov has not only defeated every opponent he’s come across, but he’s finished every single one of them by knockout or submission.

Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov odds

DraftKings released the opening odds, in which Rakhmonov is a +235 betting favorite over Machado Garry, who is a -290 underdog.

How to watch Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310

  • When: December 7, 2024
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Colby Covington resurfaces, steps into UFC Tampa main event

Guess who’s back? That’s Colby Covington’s music.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] said he was going to call Hunter Campbell on Monday to ask for a fight against [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag].

It appears the promotion had other plans. Instead, Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) will face [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a five-round welterweight UFC on ESPN 63 headliner Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., promotion CEO Dana White announced Saturday.

Covington, 36, replaces [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag], who slides back a week to face Rakhmonov after champion Belal Muhammad pulled out. Covington most recently competed in a failed title bid vs. Leon Edwards in December. He lost by unanimous decision. It was the third time Covington had challenged for the title and came up short. He’s 1-2 in his most recent three.

Buckley, 30, seeks his sixth-straight victory in what will be his first promotional main event. He most recently competed in October when he knocked out Stephen Thompson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCa5-wmxZ_U/

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 63 lineup includes:

  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Colby Covington
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
  • Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Joel Alvarez vs. Drakkar Klose
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras
  • Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Michael Johnson
  • Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Fernando Padilla vs. Sean Woodson
  • Miles Johns vs. Felipe Lima

Shavkat Rakhmonov meets Ian Machado Garry in five-round bout at UFC 310

Undefeated welterweights Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry will clash for No. 1 contender position at UFC 310.

Undefeated welterweights will battle it out for top contender position at UFC 310.

When welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was forced out of his title defense against [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Dec. 7 due to a bone infection in his foot, Rakhmonov called for an interim title fight against Kamaru Usman.

Both [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Joaquin Buckley, who were scheduled to face each other in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner on Dec. 14, threw their name in the hat to face Rakhmonov.

The UFC opted to go with Machado Garry, who will meet Rakhmonov in a five-round non-title co-main event bout at UFC 310 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Dana White announced Friday. Buckley will now face Colby Covington.

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Garry is coming off a unanimous decision win over Michael Page at UFC 303 in June. Meanwhile, Rakhmonov notched his sixth octagon victory when he became the first to submit Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December.

Rakhmonov expressed disappointment in the welterweight division, as a whole, on X after the fight was announced.

The winner of the UFC 310 matchup is expected to challenge Muhammad for the belt upon his return to competition.

With the addition, the current UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. TBA
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Tallison Teixeira
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Kamaru Usman says Shavkat Rakhmonov ‘a very winnable fight,’ but UFC 310 might be too soon

Kamaru Usman admits UFC 310 may be too soon for him to compete.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] admits UFC 310 may be too soon for him to compete.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was scheduled to challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the Dec. 7 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Muhammad was forced out due to a bone infection in his foot.

Former UFC welterweight champion Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) expressed interest in stepping in against Rakhmonov. He’s currently in Colorado getting ready in case he gets the call, and is confident in how he matches up against undefeated Rakhmonov.

However, Usman has a bit of an issue with the date of the fight.

“To be honest, it’s a fight that I’ve looked at, and I know it’s definitely a very, very winnable fight,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “And I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn’t been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“He’s very talented, and he’s very, very good. But I do see the holes, and I think that I can exploit that when that time is right. But Dec. 7 might be a little too early for that time. So that’s where I’m at.”

The most recent time Usman competed was also on short notice. He stepped in to face another undefeated phenom in Khamzat Chimaev, pushing him to the brink in a majority decision loss at UFC 294 in October 2023. “The Nigerian Nightmare” currently is on a three-fight losing skid, with two of those losses coming back-to-back to Leon Edwards in title fights.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Colby Covington slams Shavkat Rakhmonov for accusing him of empty UFC 310 callout

Colby Covington went off on Shavkat Rakhmonov as the pair continue to exchange words before UFC 310.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] went off on [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] as the pair of welterweights continue to exchange words.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) recently revealed to Submission Radio that he offered to step in against Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Dec. 7 at UFC 310. Former champion Kamaru Usman also hinted that he’s willing to fight Rakhmonov, who isn’t buying either one of their claims.

“All I hear are empty callouts!” Rakhmonov wrote on X, tagging both Usman and Covington. “No real intention, no action. Just posturing for the media and fans @USMAN84kg @ColbyCovMMA.”

Rakhmonov’s post set off Covington, who went on an explicit rant on Instagram.

“Someone just showed me (manager Danny) Rubenstein’s tweet for that big dummy, sh*t rat,” Covington said. “Listen up, junior. Translate this to whatever caveman dialect you need to and get it through that big, empty skull attached to that gumby ass body: I don’t posture, and I don’t bluff. As soon as I get off this beautiful five-star Trump golf course located in the heart of MAGA country, West Palm Beach, Florida, I’m calling Hunter (Campbell) and Dana (White), and we can all see who’s posturing for clicks, bozo.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPWveYxnrP/?hl=en

Rakhmonov proceeded to respond in the comments of Covington’s Instagram post.

“Let’s go, I’m ready! Your talking will not help you in the octagon,” Rakhmonov wrote.

Covington hasn’t competed since a title loss to then champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December. Meanwhile, after submitting Stephen Thompson, Rakhmonov was gearing for his first title shot against welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310, but Muhammad was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection in his foot.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Colby Covington reveals he offered to fight Shavkat Rakhamonov at UFC 310

Colby Covington says he threw his name in the hat to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] says he threw his name in the hat to fight [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was scheduled to challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the Dec. 7 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Muhammad withdrew due to a bone infection in his foot.

Former multiple-time title challenger Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) revealed that he offered to step in vs. Rakhmonov, but the UFC was working on something else.

“I offered. I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate,” Covington told Submission Radio. “I would love to save the show and put on a good show for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money for big, megafights. They need a megafight. That’s not a mega fight. They need someone who is going to put asses in seats and entertain people, so I was excited. I wanted the fight, and I asked for it but I think they have other plans.”

Covington is confident he’d be a bad matchup for unbeaten Rakhmonov, who boasts a 100 percent finish rate.

“I can walk him down and pressure him, and he’s not going to like my pressure,” Covington said. “He doesn’t do very well with southpaws. We saw how he did with the busboy, Geoff Neal. That was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t fought a top, top contender yet. He’s fought some gatekeepers of the division, some guys on the cusp of the top 10, but he’s never fought a champion like me – a guy who’s going to come at him for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“I match up well. He stands very tall. I don’t see anything special with him. He has some good submissions. He’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me, so I think I can beat him pretty easily, and I think it’s a favorable fight, and it’s a fight that I want in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.