A detailed breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's controversial decision win over Ian Garry reveals his dominance in the clinch and middle distance striking, though he struggled significantly at long range. Rakhmonov landed the best strikes to the head, controlled the clinch in four of five rounds, and became the first UFC fighter to successfully take down Garry in the center of the cage—doing so twice. However, he threw almost no kicks and conceded the long-range battle by a wide margin, allowing Garry to score heavily with low kicks and oblique kicks. The analyst scored the fight essentially even on total points (40-40) but gave Rakhmonov the nod based on his control and damage to the head. Despite questions about his low activity at range and a fifth-round mistake, Rakhmonov is ranked above Morales, Garry, and Belal, though perhaps a quarter-class below Islam Makhachev.
A detailed technical breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's five-round decision victory over Ian Garry has been published, offering a granular look at where the unbeaten Kazakhstani welterweight dominated — and where he was exposed.
Rakhmonov, known as "Nomad," enters the post-fight analysis standing 19-0-0, ranked third in the welterweight division at 31 years old. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, he is an imposing physical presence, and the numbers behind his craft are equally striking: he lands 3.25 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy, while averaging 1.4 takedowns and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Against Garry, those tools were on full display in specific phases of the fight. The breakdown credits Rakhmonov with landing the cleaner, more damaging shots to the head and controlling the clinch in four of the five rounds. Most notably, he became the first fighter in UFC competition to successfully take Garry down in the center of the cage, doing so twice across the contest.
Yet the analysis is far from a clean endorsement. Rakhmonov threw almost no kicks throughout the fight, ceding the long-range exchanges almost entirely. Garry exploited that passivity heavily, accumulating significant volume with low kicks and oblique kicks to win the distance battle by a wide margin. The analyst ultimately scored the bout 40-40 on total points, awarding Rakhmonov the nod only on the basis of head damage and positional control. A fifth-round error is also flagged as a meaningful lapse.
Why it matters
- Rakhmonov's unbeaten record and third-place ranking put him ahead of Garry and sixth-ranked Belal Muhammad (24-5-0) in the divisional pecking order, making his next matchup significant for the title picture.
- The reigning welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev (28-1-0), sits above the division at the pound-for-pound summit, and the analyst places Rakhmonov roughly a quarter-class behind that level.
- The glaring kicking deficiency and vulnerability at long range identified here give future opponents a clear tactical blueprint to study.
