Shavkat Rakhmonov might have earned himself the decisive victory at UFC 310, securing his position as next in line for the welterweight title, but the undefeated Kazakh certainly didn't have it all his way.
There was even a brief moment towards the end of the fifth and final round where opponent Ian Machado nearly landed Garry in a rear-naked choke – but how close was 'The Future' to getting the win in the submission?
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Shavkat Rakhmonov on Ian Machado Garry's fifth-round choke and evolution
Shavkat Rakhmonov extended his undefeated streak to 19 at UFC 310 with a solid unanimous decision over Garry; although official statistics indicate that the battle was a much closer affair than might be realised.
Despite Rakhmonov amassing some 11 minutes of control time, the Irishman would defeat the 'Nomad' 42-37 with significant striking, with his second submission attempt almost bringing the match to a dramatic late conclusion.
“It was a great, competitive fight. I gave everything to get the victory and I'm happy [with the result],” Rakhmonov told TNT Sports, before revealing just how close that fifth-round choke was.
“It was an awkward situation, you know, but I managed to escape it – if I was in the same position [as Ian Machado Garry]I would have taken his head off.
“You can say he has gotten better; he has evolved, he wasn't like that a few years ago… So it wasn't easy, fighting isn't easy and [he put me in] there were some difficult situations and I had to adapt during the fight.”
Rakhmonov continued to praise Garry's struggles at the post-fight press conference and confirmed the obvious: 'The Future' had improved by leaps and bounds since their infamous sparring sessions.
“He's definitely put in a lot of work, he's improved a lot, it was a great position for him, he's someone who has never lost for any reason and it's a great experience for me.
“It was great takedown defense and great defense in general; He is not someone from the street, he works in the gym every day and keeps getting better.”
Ian Machado Garry disputes UFC 310 loss as stock price continues to rise after defeat
To his credit, Ian Machado Garry remained humble in the defeat, the first of his professional career, explaining to reporters at the post-fight press conference: “I don't feel like I lost today.
“My hand might not have been raised, but I came out and I fought a giant, I came out and I fought the ogre and I showed that he's a damn human being… I showed that I could stand with the best in the world can last. division, and I proved tonight that I can absolutely be a champion.
“He won based on his opinion, and that's okay, I can live with that and I'm very happy with my performance tonight,” the popular welterweight continued, following up with an Instagram post claiming that '15-1 has never felt so good. '
“I love all the support… 25 minutes with the baddest guy in the division, when everyone was afraid to step up and intervene, I did. And I showed the world that the boogeyman, the scariest man in the division, is a fucking human being.
'He's human and I almost beat him… He's human, and two and a half minutes of that fight, and it changes [the result].”
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