UFC welterweight fighter Ian Machado Garry shares his insights on the training sessions he had with Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Garry is all set for the co-main event of UFC 310 happening this Saturday, marking his return to the octagon post his victory over Michael ‘Venom’ Page in June. He is up against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, who was initially slated to fight welterweight champion Belal Muhammad but took this opportunity on short notice after the champion pulled out.
In the lead-up to UFC 310, Garry has openly discussed how the sparring sessions with Rakhmonov contributed to his confidence. A snippet of a video from one of their sparring sessions surfaced recently, creating more anticipation for the fight.
However, Rakhmonov expressed his dissatisfaction with the clip, mentioning that it didn’t include the part where he successfully took Garry down and submitted him. In a talk with Ariel Helwani, Rakhmonov criticized the selective sharing of the video and its timing.
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Ian Garry acknowledges he was submitted by Shavkat Rakhmonov during their training:
“If he’s clinging to something from that… let’s see it on Saturday night…”
“I’m gonna put a hole in his head on Saturday.” 😳
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Ian Machado Garry Talks About His Sparring Experience with Shavkat Rakhmonov
In a recent interview with Talksport, Garry responded to Rakhmonov’s remarks, acknowledging that he was indeed submitted during their training. However, he throws down the gauntlet for Rakhmonov to repeat that success in their upcoming fight, emphasizing the disparities between sparring and an actual competitive match.
“If he’s still hung up on something from a few years back, he needs to show up on Saturday night. Let’s see if he can deliver under pressure,” Garry stated in reference to Rakhmonov’s comments. “I believe he won’t be ready for the speed and accuracy that I bring.”
He added, “Yes, I tapped out during training. But if I listed all the fighters I’ve outperformed in training, you’d think I was the best in the world. The truth is we all learn during sparring. If Rakhmonov chooses to hold onto that past moment, that’s his decision. But trust me, I’m a changed fighter now.”
What do you think of Garry’s statements? Are you of the opinion that Ian Machado Garry can beat Shavkat Rakhmonov this Saturday?
