The UFC 310 card in Las Vegas was originally supposed to be headlined by the current welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, against top contender Shavkat Rakhmonovbut,  because of an infection in his foot. 

Instead, Rakhmonov will still be on the card, where he will face off against fellow rising star Ian Garry, in a five-round co-main event, to determine who gets the next shot at the welterweight strap in 2025. 

The main event will be for the flyweight title as Alexandre Pantoja looks to successfully defend his belt against UFC debutant Kai Asakura. The Japanese fighter is no novice in the world of MMA however, holding a record of 20-4. 

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Ian Garry: Preview

Ian Garry of Ireland punches Geoff Neal//Getty Images

Shavkat Rakhmonov might not be a speaker of English, nevertheless, his fighting skills are translatable across every language on the planet. With a record of 18-0, and a 100% finish rate, the Kazakhstan fighter has become a huge hit for the fans because of his brutal fighting style. 

Rakhmonov comes into this UFC 310 bout with a submission win over UFC legend, Stephen Thompson. 

Ian Machado Garry has become a bit of a villain in recent times with his promo’s on the microphone in post-fight interviews and pre-fight press conferences. In spite of this, the Irishman is 15-0, and more recently delivered a methodical victory over Michael “Venom” Page. 

Whilst Shavkat is riding a three-fight submission streak and known as a brutal finisher, since Garry has stepped up in competition he has become more measured in his approach and has won three fights in a row via decision. 

Ian Garry of Ireland punches Geoff Neal//Getty Images

Striking & Grappling: Who Has the Edge?

In terms of striking, it is Ian Garry that holds the advantage, although we'd say minimal because Shavkat is effective at what he does in the stand-up. 

Garry certainly looks the more smoother striker, with his counter-striking and good footwork, which allows him to fight on the back foot. However, Rakhmonov has heavy power in his kicks and punches, so his striking cannot be overlooked. 

An interesting dynamic in this fight is that “The Future” loves to fight on the back foot, but can he really afford to do that against an elite wrestler like Rakhmonov? In that situation, Garry will be reliant on his footwork to bail him out and make sure he doesn't allow Shavkat to cut the cage off. That's easier said than done though.

“Nomad” clearly has the wrestling and grappling advantage in this fight, and if the fight does hit the mat, Garry could find himself being Rakhmonov's fourth victim in a row of his dangerous choke game. Although Garry does have decent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it's not on the same level of the Kazakh fighter.

The fight being five rounds is also interesting because who would that favour? 

While Garry has gone the three-round distance several times in his career, and once in a five-rounder before the UFC, if the pattern of the fight is him being on the back foot and evading shots and takedowns, can his cardio hold up to that type of pressure?

On the other hand, Rakhmonov has never heard the final bell in his MMA career, but that's not really his fault given he has wiped out or put to sleep everyone who's ever stepped in front of him. And while there is a question mark over whether he could keep his heavy front foot pressure style of fighting up for five rounds, that could also be a huge benefit as his opponent will be more worn down as the fight drags on.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Ian Machado Garry: Prediction

This fight sees the third-best UFC welterweight in the world, Rakhmonov, take on the seventh–best UFC welterweight in the world, Garry, and I think we, as fans, will not be disappointed on December 7th. 

In MMA, especially the UFC, it is extremely rare to have two undefeated fighters facing off against each other, let alone for a number one contender spot. Both guys are 30 or under, so the loser can rebuild and come again.

This is a tricky fight to predict the outcome of, but, we have to lean in the favour of Shavkat Rakhmonov because of the pattern of the fight that could play out: Rakhmonov's heavy pressure against Garry's elusive backfoot style of striking. It just seems like there will be several opportunities for the Kazakhstan man to get this fight to the ground where he can sink in some of his deadly submissions.