Shavkat Rakhmonov does not assume Ian Machado Garry needs to be the No. 1 contender for the UFC welterweight championship.
Rakhmonov was in attendance for the UFC Qatar struggle. Within the co-main occasion, Machado Garry confronted Belal Muhammad in a pivotal 170-pound match. “The Future” defeated Muhammad by unanimous choice. After the match, Machado Ghaly known as for Islam Makhachev to win the welterweight gold medal.
Rakhmonov has since said on his X account that he disagrees with Machado Garry’s declare that he’s one of the best candidate within the welterweight division.
“I am going to provide the details, no bullshit. Ian Garry misplaced to me whereas I used to be injured. He hasn’t completed anybody within the final six video games and Pretes got here near stopping him. I do not see him as a primary candidate.”
The feedback doubtless will not sit properly with Machado Ghaly, who has proven respect for Rakhmonov since they met at UFC 310 in late 2024. The 2 even hugged throughout Gary’s entrance at UFC Qatar, however Rakhmonov believes there’s a minimum of yet one more deserving candidate.
Many consider Rakhmonov will current the hardest take a look at to the 170-pound Makhachev, however an harm has dominated him out in 2025. There’s at present no phrase on when Rachmonov will return to the Octagon. When Muhammad was the titleholder, he was scheduled to problem for the UFC welterweight championship.
Machado Ghaly lately appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Present” and stated that Rakhmonov shouldn’t be thought of as an possibility for a welterweight title struggle until he’s lively (by way of MMA Junkie).
“With all due respect to Shafqat, I’ve nothing however respect for him, however when he truly comes again, let’s speak, as a result of that is not the case proper now,” Garry stated. “So in my thoughts, he is simply attempting to remain related by displaying as much as video games and being within the image and saying he is coming again. However he isn’t coming again.”
