Analysis: Shavkat Rakhmonov controlled middle and close range against Ian Garry

A detailed breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's performance against Ian Garry reveals dominance at middle and close range despite losing the long-range battle. Rakhmonov successfully landed diverse strikes including jabs, overhand rights, left hooks, and spinning backfists at middle distance, showing improvement from his fight with Geoff Neal. He dominated the clinch in the first four rounds, securing takedowns in the center of the octagon twice—a first against Garry in the UFC. However, Rakhmonov's inactivity at long range proved costly, conceding significant points through Garry's leg kicks. The analyst scored the fight essentially even at 40-40 in total points but gave Rakhmonov the edge due to more impactful head strikes and better overall control. The fifth round saw Rakhmonov's only major mistake when he rushed a takedown attempt and lost position.