Las Vegas — Someone’s 0 had to go, and in the end, it wasn’t Shavkat Rakhmonov’s.
The UFC 310 co-main event was a welterweight title eliminator between undefeated stars Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry, the latter stepping in when Belal Muhammad pulled out of the event.
The fight went the distance, seeing Rakhmonov earn a decision win for the first time in his career, following 18 straight finishes. The pair had trained in the past, but what played out in the cage was rather different.
“He did a lot of work, he improved a lot,” Rakhmonov told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “It was great opposition from him. He was someone who didn’t lose for a reason, and it was a great experience for me.”
Rakhmonov found himself in a rear-naked choke in the fifth round, but when asked about how close it was to a finish, he admitted he didn’t really remember how he wound up in the predicament.
Ahead of the fight with Garry, things were mostly cordial throughout Fight Week. That changed on Friday, when the pair got a little heated at weigh-ins. That resulted in heads being pressed together, and a shove.
“I didn’t plan it. He was in my face,” Rakhmonov told Cageside Press when asked about the incident. “I’m not the one who’s going to stay back, that’s why I had to push him.”
A number of Kazakhstani flags were seen throughout the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. That’s something that had Rakhmonov in high spirits. “It’s great. Kazakh’s support each other, and I felt that support. I’m proud to be Kazakh with such support. Ian Garry’s not an easy opponent, and it wasn’t an easy fight, and I’m glad I got the win for my fans.”
He’s not sweating the loss of his 100% finish rate, either. “For me, it’s most important to get the win, and I’m happy I won.”
Now it’s on to champ Belal Muhammad. “I’m the number one title contender, and hopefully maybe in April or May next year, we’re going to face each other.”
Watch the full UFC 310 post-fight press conference with Shavkat Rakhmonov above.
