LAS VEGAS – Someone’s “0” had to go at UFC 310 – and that someone was Ian Machado Garry.
In Saturday’s co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated Ian Machado Garry (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47).
Former training partners, Rakhmonov and Garry were well-acquainted as they entered the bout. The each fought measured without much risk, which was perhaps a sign of the respect they had for each other.
A technical striker, Garry was unable to consistently utilitze the tools that historically proved most successful. Rakhmonov implemented his typical game plan as he grinded Garry into the fence and frustrated him with precise one-punch combinations.
Garry found his most success in Round 3. After he separated from Rakhmonov, he landed some strikes before the round ended.
In what may have been a UFC first, Garry changed into a new pair of shorts in between Round 3 and 4 due to what appeared to be a malfunction.
In Round 4, Rakhmonov took Garry down. He worked for the back but Garry expertly scrambled and tried for a rear-naked choke of his own. The drama was short-lived. Rakhmonov regained dominant position. Once back up, Rakhmonov took Garry down again and landed some ground-and-pound before the horn.
Ian Machado Garry swapped shorts mid-round 😅 #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/pk1xUaSkup
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 8, 2024
The final round was a rollercoaster of emotions and momentum. In a shocking turn of events, Garry took Rakhmonov’s back on the ground and nearly locked in a rear-naked choke. Rakhmonov strained and twisted and eventually turned into Garry. The two got to the feet briefly where Garry landed one hard strike before the final horn.
When the dust settled and the judges’ scorecards were read, Rakhmonov was declared the victor.
Shavkat Rakhmonov hands Ian Machado Garry his first MMA loss with a unanimous decision win at #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/RKVS3eJPwE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 8, 2024
With the win, Rakhmonov remains unbeaten and solidifies himself a title shot vs. Belal Muhammad, who entered the cage for an impromptu faceoff after the decision. Meanwhile, Garry loses for the first time in his career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 310 results include:
- Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
- Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie via knockout (elbows) – Round 3, 0:39
- Dooho Choi def. Nate Landwehr via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:21
- Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:46
- Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo via technical submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 0:52
- Movsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bryan Battle def. Randy Brown via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:51
- Joshua Van def. Cody Durden via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
- Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:56
- Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:41
- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukasz Brzeski via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:51
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
