A detailed breakdown of Shavkat Rakhmonov's fight with Ian Garry reveals several key areas of improvement and concern. Rakhmonov showed significant progress at mid-range compared to his bout with Geoff Neal, effectively landing single power strikes including jabs, overhand rights, left hooks, and spinning backfists. He dominated the clinch in the first four rounds, successfully taking Garry's back and controlling him in deep underhooks. Rakhmonov became the only fighter in the UFC to take Garry down in the center of the octagon, accomplishing this twice and landing ground strikes from top position. However, a concerning weakness was Rakhmonov's lack of activity at long range, where he failed to land a single kick in four of five rounds and conceded significant points to Garry's leg kicks. The analyst scored the fight roughly even at 40-40 in total points, with Garry dominating long range 19.5 to 1.75, while Rakhmonov won mid-range 15.75 to 10.25 and close range 18.5 to 11.7, giving Rakhmonov the overall victory due to his control and heavier strikes to the head.
