Shavkat Rahkmonov names the two former world champions who were offered UFC 310 fight before Ian Machado Garry

Shavkat Rakhmonov was prepared to face two different former world champions after losing the title fight last Saturday.

The fearsome Kazakh fighter is undefeated at 18-0 and has struggled to be matched in the UFC at the best of times. But when Belal Muhammad was forced out of their scheduled world title fight at UFC 310, he was offered some big-name opportunities.

However, when it came to getting them to agree, the promotion couldn't find anyone willing to take the fight so late. Now Rakhmonov will face his former teammate Ian Machado Garry in a number one contender's bout.

Shavkat Rakhmonov names the former champions who turned down a fight with him

Three options were presented to Shavkat Rakhmonov before he was forced to face Garry this weekend. He noted that two were former world champions, while another top contender was also on the list.

Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

“I wanted to fight Kamaru Usman. But he didn't accept the fight,” Rakhmonov told Submission Radio. “They also offered Carlos Prates, but he got injured. And Colby Covington, he turned down the fight. And I'm glad Ian Garry has accepted the fight because it will be a great fight.

Asked why he thinks Usman turned it down, Rakhmonov replied: “I don't know. At first he accepted the fight, but then he refused. Maybe he didn't want to take a risk, but of course he doesn't want to lose.”

Ian Machado Garry calls out Kamaru Usman for turning down the UFC 310 fight

During an explosive performance last night on the Ariel Helwani Show, Ian Machado explained to Garry that he believes Usman was too scared to take the fight. He believes that while the former champion is a great fighter, he is now unwilling to risk another loss on his record.

“So I had a lot of conversations back to back with UFC,” Garry explained. “At first the goal was to get a fight with Colby Covington, but again, it's no secret he was on the run. Then they went down the line and started looking at Kamaru Usman.

“The words I heard from UFC were, 'Kamaru Usman wants nothing to do with you,' which means he's also running. Usman has a big chest and small balls; he looks good, he has a big chest and plays the part, but where it matters between the legs, he is a small man. That's my view on it.”

Garry thinks Usman and Covington are now both looking for matchups that better suit their styles, adding, “Him and Colby, they're older, they've come through the division and fought guys. Now they are coming to the end of their careers and want to choose the better stylistic match.

“I guarantee this. Usman is going to try to push for a fight with Jack Della Maddalena because he saw how easy it was for Gilbert Burns to take him down.

“If I was in Usman's shoes, why would I want to fight the guy who is tall, tall and difficult to deal with? When I was able to fight the guy, I saw that two people in a row could take him out quite easily.

Kamaru Usman hits back at claims he is afraid of Shavkat Rakhmonov

Garry's criticism reflects the feelings of some fans and other fighters, albeit worded slightly differently. But Usman really believes that such criticism is nonsensical. He notes that he has always fought the best in the world and that at 170 pounds, he himself is considered an all-time great.

“This is a fight I could potentially get into,” Usman said during a recent episode of his podcast Pound for Pound with Henry Cejudo. “I've discussed this a million times, which I think is crazy because I see people online.

“They say, 'Ah, are you scared? Are you diving? Are you diving? Are you afraid? Are you afraid?' What? “I'm like, 'Wait, what?' This is the same feeling I think people do with Jon Jones. It's like when people, where you're a fan or fans of a fighter, don't get the desired wish they want.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“They say, 'That's the fight I want,' and then it's like, 'That guy must be scared because he didn't take the fight.' Guys, shut up. Quiet. We get in there every time – I have 22 or 25 fights, I don't know how many fights.

“But you think everyone, 'Oh, you're scared.' World champion and defending champion again and again: 'Oh, he's scared.' Quiet. Just because you didn't get what you wanted. Guess what, it's like your mom telling you, “No, you can't have that toy today.” So shut up.”

Related posts