Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman shared his thoughts on the contender fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry. In this intense matchup, the Kazakh fighter secured a unanimous decision victory with a score of 48-47 across the board.
“This is what I expected,” Usman stated during his podcast, co-hosted with Henry Cejudo. “Ian needs to create space; he’s a very good and dynamic striker – you could see that during the fight. When he’s able to create space, he finds his rhythm.”
Speaking about Rakhmonov’s style, Usman highlighted his strengths:
“As for Shavkat, he needs action, a face-to-face brawl. Considering a potential fight with either of them, I don’t want to say too much, but there are things I notice. On the feet, Shavkat didn’t look great, but once Ian allowed a few takedowns, the fight slipped away from him. I anticipated this and can see that both of them have gaps in their game.”
Usman also mentioned that while the fight wasn’t the most exciting, Rakhmonov demonstrated his determination to win:
“I knew it wasn’t going to be the most thrilling fight, but still, Shavkat showed that he’s a real beast. He’s ready to do whatever it takes to come out and get the win. Ian too, but on that day, Shavkat was just a bit more of a beast than Ian.”
By defeating the Irishman, Shavkat Rakhmonov climbed to the second spot in the UFC welterweight rankings, pushing Kamaru Usman down to third. This victory also guaranteed Rakhmonov a title shot against the reigning champion, Belal Muhammad.
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