Shavkat Rakhmonov is bringing a killer’s mentality into the Octagon later this evening (Sat., Dec. 7, 2024) at UFC 310 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the undefeated “Nomad” puts history aside and battles former training partner Ian Machado Garry in a co-main event welterweight title eliminator.
It’s no secret that Rakhmonov is one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport today. The imposing welterweight has racked off six-straight wins inside of the Octagon to push his overall MMA record to 18-0 and has finished every single one of those fights. There are not many fighters that can do that which is why a ton of top welterweight contenders turned down the chance to fight Rakhmonov at UFC 310.
Garry, who is undefeated in his own right at 15-0, stepped up and was more than willing to to test his luck against Rakhmonov. Believe it or not, the two welterweights used to train together. Apparently Rakhmonov got the better of Garry on a few occasions and even ended up submitting him (Garry admitted this earlier in the week). Despite their history, there’s no friendship being shared ahead of Saturday’s massive co-main event.
Instead, Rakhmonov and Garry have cooked up some bad blood over the past few days. This includes a ceremonial weigh ins staredown that turned physical as the two welterweights butted heads (watch HERE). It also includes Rakhmonov’s pre-fight interview with UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier, which can be seen below:
Shavkat Rakhmonov: “I just want to go out there and kick the sh!t out of him”
DC: “Why you guys are teammates, friends, why do you want to kick the sh!t out of him”
Shavkat: “Not friends. I respect him but we are not friends”
@dc_mma pic.twitter.com/Mz9sdEBm8O
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 6, 2024
“I just want to go out there and kick the sh-t out of him,” said Rakhmonov.
“Why you guys are teammates, friends, why do you want to kick the sh-t out of him?” asked Cormier.
“Not friends. I respect him but we are not friends,” replied Rakhmonov.
In any case, Rakhmonov and Garry both seem ready to wage war on the final UFC PPV card of the year. That bodes well for fight fans as they witness two incredibly talented, undefeated fighters go toe-to-toe for a chance to fight UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in early 2025.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 310 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 310 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 310: “Pantoja vs. Asakura” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 310 fight card and PPV lineup click here.