A detailed review of Shavkat Rakhmonov's performance against Ian Garry highlighted several improvements and remaining concerns. Rakhmonov demonstrated progress at mid-range compared to his fight with Neil Magny, landing strong single strikes including jabs, overhand rights, left hooks, and spinning backfists. He dominated the clinch in the first four rounds and became the first UFC fighter to take Garry down in the center of the octagon, doing so twice. Rakhmonov controlled the cage, distance, and pace effectively except in the fifth round. However, concerns remain about his low activity at long range, where he threw very few leg kicks and conceded significant points to Garry's kicking game. Despite Garry outscoring him heavily at distance (19.5 to 1.75 points), Rakhmonov won the mid-range (15.75 to 10.25) and close range (18.5 to 11.7), which are the most important distances in MMA for damage and control.
A detailed performance breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's welterweight title victory over Ian Garry has surfaced, revealing meaningful steps forward for the unbeaten Kazakh alongside persistent holes in his game that opponents could look to exploit.
Rakhmonov, 31, carries a perfect 19-0-0 record into his reign as welterweight champion and is ranked third in the division according to AgentMMA's verified data. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, the orthodox southpaw out of DAR Team lands 3.25 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy, and he adds 1.4 takedowns and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes — a genuinely all-range threat.
The review notes clear improvement at mid-range relative to his earlier outing against Neil Magny. Against Garry, Rakhmonov connected consistently with single, high-impact shots — jabs, overhand rights, left hooks, and spinning backfists — and dominated the clinch through the first four rounds. He also became the first UFC fighter to take Garry down in the center of the octagon, achieving the feat twice.
At distance, however, the picture was considerably thinner. Rakhmonov threw very few leg kicks and conceded the long-range exchanges almost entirely, allowing Garry to outscore him 19.5 to 1.75 points at that distance. The fifth round also saw Rakhmonov lose his grip on cage control, pace, and distance — a late slippage that added to the concern.
The aggregate numbers still favored the champion in the zones that tend to determine damage and control. Rakhmonov won mid-range 15.75 to 10.25 and close range 18.5 to 11.7, margins substantial enough to frame the performance as a win on substance even where style remained unresolved.
Why it matters
- Rakhmonov's long-range passivity and limited leg kick output represent a recurring, targetable pattern for future welterweight challengers.
- His clinch dominance and takedown threat — illustrated against a fighter previously ungrounded at octagon center — reinforce the champion's strengths at closer distances.
- With Magny's data showing a 46 percent striking accuracy across his 31-15 career, the mid-range improvement Rakhmonov showed relative to that fight signals genuine technical growth rather than a stylistic outlier.
