Missing out on a title charge against the undisputed, Belal Muhammad at UFC 310, unbeaten finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov has opened as a rather impressive betting favorite over fellow undefeated Irish striker, Ian Garry in their five round title eliminator next month.
Rakhmonov, who currently holds the number three rank at the welterweight limit, most recently improved to 18-0 last year, maintaining his finishing rate of 100 per cent once again with a submission win over former title challenger, Stephen Thompson.
As for the unbeaten Portmarnock native, Garry, the number seven rated challenger improved his undefeated run to fifteen straight fights back in June during International Fight Week, defeating Michael Page in a unanimous decision effort.
Shavkat Rakhmonov betting favorite to beat Ian Garry at UFC 310
And ahead of the UFC 310 co-headlining matchup, fans hoping to find the best odds for the pairing of -350 betting favorite, Shavkat Rakhmonov and the +275 betting underdog that is Ian Garry can do so over at Boomerang Bet.
Missing out on a title fight for the undisputed crown at the same event next month, Uzbekistan-born contender, Rakhmonov would see a slated welterweight championship pairing with the above-mentioned, Muhammad fall to the wayside.
Confirming his withdrawal from a tough pairing with Rakhmonov, newly-minted champion, Muhammad revealed a bone infection suffered in his foot just weeks before the matchup – ruling him from a first attempted title defense.
For Garry, the former undisputed Cage Warriors welterweight champion finds himself in a reworked matchup with former Kill Cliff FC training mate, Rakhmonov – after the withdrawal of Muhammad, and subsequently scrapping a UFC Fight Night Tampa headliner with the streaking, Joaquin Buckley next weekend.
And ahead fo the pairing next month in the co-main event of UFC 310, Garry claimed he was delighted to take the chance of fighting the perceived “boogeyman” of the welterweight ranks in a battle of the undefeated contenders.
I want people to say, ‘This guy will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime.’ A perfect example—give me the boogeyman of the welterweight division, and I’ll stand in there on three weeks’ notice and find a way to beat him,” Ian Garry explained.
“Can I be the guy to defeat Shavkat? Find out when it happens, baby. He’s been looking at me for seven or eight months. I signed up to fight the baddest man in the division, and he came out of the shadows.
“Honestly, I’ve been pushing for the Shavkat fight. I wanted undefeated vs. undefeated.”
And touching on those above-noted sparring sessions held between the duo in Deerfield Beach, Florida – Rakhmonov claimed earlier this annum when the duo were on a potential summer collision course, how Garry likely had forgotten just how one-sided those sessions were – in his favor.
“Looks like Ian forgot what happened during those training sessions,” Shavkat Rakhmonov posted on his social media. “I don’t mind reminding him in the future.”
Billed as an official title-eliminator by promotional brass – who also insist an interim title at 170lbs was needed with Muhammad poised for a new year return, the victor of next month’s clash between Rakhmonov and Garry is sure to definitively earn their premiere charge at welterweight for gold.