Irish Fighter Machado Garry to Compete Against Rakhmonov at UFC 310

Ian Machado Garry has recorded eight stoppages across his 15 victories. Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry is set to compete against fellow undefeated welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, which will be held on 7 December in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old Machado Garry is stepping in to fight Rakhmonov following the withdrawal of welterweight champion Belal Muhammad from the contest due to an injury. This fight has been designated as the co-main event, which signifies it will consist of five rounds. This marks the first occasion in Machado Garry’s professional career that he will compete in a five-round UFC bout, offering the Dublin-born fighter an opportunity to challenge Rakhmonov’s status as the top contender for the title. Rakhmonov expressed his views on X, stating, “I’m very disappointed in our division,” and asserted that Leon Edwards and Colby Covington had declined the chance to fight him. He added, “The only one who backed up his words is Ian, and I respect that. But make no mistake, I’m coming for your 0 and will fight for the belt after.” Machado Garry maintains an undefeated record across 15 fights, with his latest victory achieved by points against the British fighter Michael ‘Venom’ Page in June. While that win represented Machado Garry’s most significant achievement thus far, his upcoming opponent, Rakhmonov, presents another substantial increase in the level of competition. Rakhmonov, a 30-year-old fighter from Kazakhstan, holds an MMA record of 18 wins and has never had a fight go the full distance. His victories include 10 by submission and eight by knockout. An Irish fighter has not competed for a UFC title since Conor McGregor’s defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.