Ian Machado Garry, the rising Irish star, is set to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov in the co-main event of UFC 310. Both fighters bring undefeated records to the Octagon, with an impressive 33 combined victories. This showdown on December 7 will determine the interim welterweight champion in what promises to be an electrifying clash.
Meanwhile, the main event sees flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his title against Japan’s heavy-hitter Kai Asakura, who makes his UFC debut with a reputation for explosive knockouts.
Originally, Rakhmonov was slated for the main event against reigning welterweight champ Belal Muhammad. However, Muhammad was forced to withdraw due to a serious bone infection in his foot, reshuffling the card and setting the stage for this highly anticipated co-main event.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is really good at making people tap out in fights. He has finished five out of six UFC fights with moves like a rear-naked choke or a guillotine choke.
Michael Bisping shares Ian Garry’s keys to victory at UFC 310 Bout
Rakhmonov has never had a fight go all the way to the end, but Ian Garry, who he’s fighting on December 7, has done that before.
“I’ve said this before, you gotta have a lot of respect for Ian Garry,” said the former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
“He didn’t have to take this fight, but can he stop the takedown? Shavkat Rakhmonov, he’s very tall for the division, as is Ian Garry. They’re both six foot three, and they’re both competent strikers.
“Ian Garry’s probably gonna dance around the octagon and use the exact same game plan that he did against Geoff Neal.
“He’s gotta keep Shavkat Rakhmonov off him, okay? If he can’t stop the takedown, he will get finished. And that is no disrespect to Ian Garry.”
Ian Garry, 27, is from Dublin, Ireland, and has never lost in his 15 MMA fights. His rival from Kazakhstan has three more wins, making this a super exciting match
Garry joined the UFC in 2021 after winning a big championship in Cage Warriors, just like stars Conor McGregor and Paddy Pimblett.
At UFC 298, he kept Geoff Neal from taking him down and won in a super close fight. Then in July at UFC 303, he beat Michael ‘Venom’ Page in a big showdown that night with Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.
“He might be able to dance around, use the reach, use the range, use the movement, be fast, be elusive, be nice and crisp, be light on his toes, and be dedicated enough to not allow himself to get involved into a brawl,” Bisping added.
“If he does that, Shavkat’s gonna get a hold of him. If he gets a hold of him, he’s gonna get him down. And if he gets him down, It’s gonna be lights out.
‘Look at Shavkat’s last fight, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, a man that has spent his entire life stopping takedowns.
“But what did Shavkat do? Boxed his way into a clinch, and then slowly but surely, methodically worked his way down.
“So the story in this fight is simple. Can Ian Garry stop the takedown? Because if he can’t, someone’s zero is gonna go, and that’s probably gonna be Ian Garry’s.
“But he does have a path to victory of using the range, sticking, and moving. The crowd will boo, but who cares about the crowd? Winning is all that matters.”
Stephen Thompson’s impressive streak of never being submitted in his UFC career came to an end when he faced Rakhmonov at UFC 296 in December 2023.
For his fight against Ian Garry, Rakhmonov plans to rely on his grappling skills, aiming for an early finish to avoid the risk of getting caught by Garry’s striking. The winner of this showdown could be next in line to challenge Muhammad for the title, with the possibility of a future matchup against Leon Edwards as well.
Edwards, who lost his title to Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester, recently shared plans to headline the UFC’s return to the O2 Arena in London on March 22, 2025. However, this hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.
