“The Future” thinks his 0 did not go.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Ian Garry suffered his first professional loss at UFC 310 this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 7, 2024) when Shavkat Rakhmonov secured a unanimous decision from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Following his loss, Garry decided to speak with reporters during the UFC 310 post-fight press conference (watch here) … and he revealed he didn’t lose.
“I am humble in victory and defeat, I always have been, and I do not feel like I lost today,” Garry said. “My hand might not have got raised, but I came out, and I fought a giant. I came out, fought the boogeyman, and showed that he’s f—king human. I went out there on three weeks’ notice, I saved this event, I saved this card against the scariest man in the division, and I went out there and stopped almost everything.
“There was at no point where he looked like he finished the fight; I put him in two submissions. I took his back. I had fun,” Garry continued. “I showed that I can hang with the single best of the division, and I proved tonight on short notice that I can absolutely be a champion, and I can do it for five rounds, and there’s no holes in my game. There’s nothing that man brought for me tonight. He won by opinion, and that’s okay. I can live with that, and I’m very happy with my performance tonight.”
Even though he lost for the first time, Garry’s confidence has not wavered. The Irish fighter believes he is a championship fighter and wants more respect for being the only person to step up and accept a fight with Rakhmonov.
“I went out there against the scariest man, and I nearly f—king finished him,” Garry said. “That shows that I have a championship mentality. Twenty-five minutes, I stood in there across from him, he didn’t have anything more than I have. I stopped every single one of his takedowns; it was clean, and I made him fight tooth and nail for everything. That shows the level of talent I have, and I deserve to be one of the best in the world, and I deserve more respect from this now…I am nothing but a gamer; I have nothing but respect for everyone I work with and everyone I fight. I will be a champion one day.”
There’s no doubt that Garry proved to the mixed martial arts (MMA) world that he is one of the best Welterweights in the world and will be in the title conversation for years to come. However, for the time being, the now 15-1 fighter will have to go back to the drawing board and find out who is next.
Maybe collide with Leon Edwards in London next year?
For complete UFC 310 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.