Ian Machado Garry wants Shavkat Rahkmonov next after UFC 303 win; Rahkmonov responds

Like it or not, Ian Machado Garry remains perfect in his MMA career.

The 26-year-old Irishman won a back-and-forth battle over Michael Page on Saturday at UFC 303 to extend his unbeaten octagon run to 8-0. While Page found success in the striking department, Garry showcased his grappling to edge out the first and third rounds, and even nearly caught Page with a tight rear-naked choke attempt in the bout’s opening minutes.

After winning a decision by unanimous 29-28 scores, Garry reflected on his handiwork.

“I’m f*cking pissed I didn’t land that submission in the first round,” he said at UFC 303’s post-fight press conference. “I am, I’m livid. But you know what? I showed so much evolution today. I frustrated him. Like, I snake-charmed the snake-charmer.

“He likes people to do that dance with him, to move, to keep that flow, that rhythm, and he works well off that rhythm, that timing. I hit him with stealth mode. I walked him down, I preyed him. He didn’t have a lot of success, I didn’t have a lot of success on the feet. I wobbled him in the second round with a right hand, I seen his eyes go, and I was like, ‘Patience.’ I’ve been saying all week — I said it to Demian [Maia], I said it to Diego [Lima], I said it to everyone on my team. The key to beating Michael ‘Venom’ Page was patience.”

Though he has become somewhat of a polarizing figure for the MMA fan base, Garry (18-0) continues to ascend up the welterweight ranks. His UFC wins over Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and now Page have carried him to the brink of title contention.

Prior to his booking against Page, Garry campaigned heavily for a bout against three-time title challenger Colby Covington. And while he remained open to that matchup after UFC 303, Garry now has a new name in mind — one few welterweights have dared to call out.

“Look, I’m going to have a chat with Hunter [Campbell] and Dana [White] later on and figure out what’s next. There’s some big names, there’s some cool matchups,” Garry said. “This Shavkat [Rakhmonov], 18-0, undefeated — I’d love to get my hands on him. I’ve trained with him. I have nothing but respect for the guy, but I want to be the first guy to take his ‘0,’ and I know I can do it. I’ve just beat the fastest guy in the division other than me. When it comes to the striking and skill set, I can do it. When it comes to the grappling, we’ve seen the growth that I have. I’m excited to go out there and prove it against someone like him.”

Rakhmonov is currently tied with former champion Kamaru Usman as MMA Fighting’s No. 2 ranked welterweight in the world. He is widely recognized as one of the top threats to the UFC’s 170-pound title and has finished every bout of his professional MMA career, stopping the likes of Stephen Thompson, Neal, Magny, Alex Oliveira, Michel Prazeres, and more.

As fate would have it, it didn’t take long for Rakhmonov to respond to Garry’s callout.

“Looks like Ian forgot what happened during those training sessions,” Rakhmonov wrote. “I don’t mind reminding him in the future.”

A win over a touted contender like Rakhmonov would likely propel Garry to the title shot he has long coveted. He’s confident it’s only a matter of when — not if — that moment comes.

“I am on my road to destiny to be one of the greatest of all-time,” Garry said. “I am going to do that by any means necessary, and I don’t care how it gets done.

“In 10 years’ time, my name is going to be in that GOAT conversation. You’re going to [ask], ‘Who is the greatest of all-time?’ You’re going to say, ‘Jon Jones, GSP [Georges St-Pierre], Anderson Silva, Ian Machado Garry.’ I am going to have my name in that conversation. Because it’s opinion based, if you’re Brazilian, you’ll say Anderson Silva. If you’re American, you might say Jon Jones. We can all sit here and have all of our opinions. As long as my name is in that conversation, I have had a successful career.”