A detailed review of Shavkat Rakhmonov's fight against Ian Garry highlights the Kazakh fighter's dominance at middle and close range. Rakhmonov impressed with improved striking at middle distance, landing clean power shots including jabs, overhand rights, and spinning backfists. He controlled the clinch for the first four rounds, took Garry's back, and became the first fighter in the UFC to take Garry down in the center of the octagon, doing so twice. While Garry dominated the long-range game with leg kicks (19.5 points to 1.75), Rakhmonov won the middle distance 15.75 to 10.25 and close range 18.5 to 11.7. The analyst notes that Rakhmonov's lack of activity with leg kicks at long range was concerning, but his control of the two most important fighting ranges—middle and close—secured him the victory despite the overall points being roughly equal at 40-40.
A recent analytical breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's welterweight clash with Ian Garry concludes that the undefeated Kazakh controlled the fight where it mattered most — at middle and close range — securing a victory despite the overall scoring finishing in near-perfect balance.
Rakhmonov, nicknamed "Nomad," enters this conversation with an unblemished 19-0-0 record and sits third in the UFC welterweight rankings. The 31-year-old from Kazakhstan stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and brings a well-rounded offensive game, landing at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate and averaging 3.25 significant strikes per minute. His grappling credentials are equally formidable, with 1.4 takedowns and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
The review breaks the fight into three distinct range categories. At long range, Garry asserted himself convincingly through leg kicks, winning that phase 19.5 points to 1.75 — an area the analyst flagged as a genuine concern in Rakhmonov's game. However, Rakhmonov reversed the dynamic at every shorter distance. He won the middle range 15.75 to 10.25, landing clean power shots including jabs, overhand rights, and spinning backfists that represented a noticeable improvement in his striking at that distance. At close range, he dominated 18.5 to 11.7, controlling the clinch for the opening four rounds and seizing Garry's back on multiple occasions.
Perhaps the most striking historical note in the analysis: Rakhmonov became the first fighter in the UFC to take Garry down in the center of the octagon, doing so twice.
Why it matters
- Despite near-identical overall point totals at roughly 40-40, range control at middle and close distance proved decisive for Rakhmonov
- The fight exposed a specific vulnerability in Rakhmonov's long-range game, particularly his lack of leg-kick activity
- Rakhmonov's continued unbeaten record at 19-0 and his positioning at number three in the welterweight division keeps him firmly in title contention
