Unbeaten welterweight contender, Ian Garry has claimed incoming foe, Shavkat Rakhmonov is well aware of his championship potential — claiming he heard from his coach how the Uzbekistan fighter admitted that Dubliner was poised for gold ahead of UFC 310.
Garry, who currently holds the number seven rank at the welterweight limit, returns to the Octagon this weekend at UFC 310, taking co-headlining honors over the course of five rounds in an officially-billed title eliminator with his fellow unbeaten challenger, Rakhmonov.
Initially slated to return a week later in the headliner of UFC Fight Night Tampa, Portmarnock native, Ian Garry withdrew from a main event bout with the streaking, Joaquin Buckley — in place of a pairing with Rakhmonov, with former interim champion, Colby Covington booking his return in a pairing with St. Louis native, Buckley instead.
Ian Garry stokes flames on rivalry with former teammate, Shavkat Rakhmonov
And sharing a distinct history with unbeaten finishing phenom, Rakhmonov, Garry claimed and the former trained together at Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida over the last 18 months — with the Irish striker claiming a coach at the facility informed him how Rakhmonov admitted he will win welterweight gold before himself.
“Me and Shavkat (Rakhmonov) trained a lot together,” Ian Garry said during an episode of UFC 310: Countdown. “I think he’s a phenomenal fighter. [Kill Cliff FC coach] Henri Hooft told me Shavkat Rakhmonov and him had a conversation, and he said ‘Shavkat knows you’re going to be the champion one day.’ But he says ‘Me first and him later.’ So.”
“It’s unfortunate that one of us is going to have to lose,” he concluded. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that he’s not getting his hand raised.”
And closing as a sizeable betting underdog to beat Rakhmonov, over the weekend, former undisputed middleweight champion, Michael Bisping claimed if Garry is taken down by the 100 percent finishing rate challenger, he will be finished for the first time in his mixed martial arts career.