Ian Machado Garry loses close clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310
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Ian Machado Garry made a strong push in the final moments, but it wasn't sufficient at UFC 310 on Saturday, resulting in a decision loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov.
The two former training partners both came into their match in Las Vegas with perfect records, but it was Rakhmonov who maintained his unbeaten status, improving to 19-0. On the other hand, Machado Garry (15-1) managed to be the first fighter to last the full distance against Rakhmonov.
The judges' scorecards showed 48-47, 48-47, 48-47, indicating that Rakhmonov successfully held on to his position as the top contender in the welterweight division, paving the way for a match against champion Belal Muhammad.
Rakhmonov, who is 30 years old, was set to compete against Muhammad in UFC 310. However, Muhammad had to pull out of the main event because of a bone infection.
This prompted 27-year-old Machado Garry to get involved, as his fight against Rakhmonov was designated as the co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena.
A lot of the hype focused on Rakhmonov's assertion that he managed to submit Machado Garry during their previous sparring matches—something that the Irish fighter confirmed just this week.
Interestingly, it was actually Machado Garry who came close to making Rakhmonov submit on Saturday.
After Rakhmonov appeared to take a clear lead over three rounds, dominating his opponent in clinches and delivering stronger strikes, Machado Garry started to push back. In the fourth round, the Irish fighter found his rhythm, connecting more often and almost locking in a rear naked choke during a wrestling exchange.
Rakhmonov managed to pull through, while Machado Garry kept up his impressive performance, ending on a high note.
Nonetheless, this achievement wasn't sufficient to snatch the top contender position away from Rakhmonov, who is anticipated to face Muhammad in 2025.
In the highlight match of UFC 310, Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight championship successfully by submitting Kai Asakura in the second round.
Asakura, a two-time bantamweight champion from Rizin, was brought on board by the UFC to provide Pantoja with a new opponent, following Pantoja's success in dominating the 125-pound weight class.
Despite Asakura landing many of his trademark knee strikes, Pantoja managed to take him to the ground and secure a rear-naked choke, which led to Asakura losing consciousness.
