Rakhmonov Edges Garry After Muhammad Withdraws
UFC 310’s welterweight co-main event became a No. 1 contender bout after then-champion Belal Muhammad withdrew with a foot infection. Shavkat Rakhmonov beat Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision on December 7, 2024; all three judges scored it 48–47. The official scorecards record the result.
Rakhmonov’s unbeaten record, interrupted by injury
The victory improved Rakhmonov’s record to 19–0 and appeared to position him for a title fight. He has not competed since. In a September 2026 interview, Rakhmonov said he fought Garry with serious knee injuries, including damage to his ACL and meniscus, and acknowledged he does not know when—or whether—he will return. Reports later that month showed him doing light wrestling work, but no comeback bout had been announced as of October 2026. MMA Fighting reported on his interview; Sherdog covered the training footage.
Garry recovered and fought for the title
Garry rebounded with a unanimous-decision win over Carlos Prates in April 2025, then challenged welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026. Makhachev won another unanimous decision to retain the title, according to the UFC event report. The defeat to Rakhmonov therefore did not close Garry’s route to a championship bout, though he lost the non-title contender bout with Rakhmonov at UFC 310; his later title challenge against Makhachev was a separate fight.
Looking back, the fight had different consequences for each contender. Rakhmonov remained unbeaten and earned a title opportunity, but a prolonged knee injury has kept him out of competition. Garry absorbed his first professional loss, returned to winning form, and later challenged for the belt. As of October 2026, the bigger uncertainty around their matchup is whether Rakhmonov can return to the title picture.
