”That’s the Goku Spirit,” Israel Adesanya lauds Ian Garry for taking on the ‘Boogeyman’ Shavkat Rakhmonov
Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya backs Ian Garry (over Shavkat Rakhmonov) to get his hands raised at UFC 310.
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Israel Adesanya draws comparison between Goku and Ian Garry ahead of UFC 310 (Image via Imago/Open Source)
The 170lbs division in the UFC has always carried a special prestige, carrying one of the longest lineage filled with epic wars. Unsurprisingly, even today the welterweight class is still hailed as one of the popular divisions. Upcoming UFC 310 features one of a kind welterweight clash between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry. Both men are walking into the fight with an unbeaten record and a title shot at stake.
Decorated middleweight star Israel Adesanya previewed the entire card on his YouTube channel and gave props to the Irish star. Reports of fighters unwilling to face the ‘Nomad’ worried fight fans. Garry’s willingness to fight the dangerous Rakhmonov on short-notice made Adesanya compare the Irishman to the iconic manga character Goku.
I saw a clip of him like at a press conference talking about Shavkat, talking about like,’ I want to be the guy to take that 0 away.’ Like that’s the energy that’s that Goku spirit. Only a few people have it cause Goku just be wanna box.
Israel Adesanya via Freestylebender YouTube
MMA coach Firas Zahabi picked Rakhmonov to dismantle Garry in their match-up. But it looks like Garry has found a supporter of his own in ‘Stylebender.’ The former middleweight king believes the grappling disparity will largely favor the Kazakh native, but backed Garry as he is showcasing the warrior spirit.
??Israel Adesanya chose Ian Machado Garry to beat Shavkat Rakhmonov:
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 5, 2024
“I like Ian… I saw he said that he wants to take Shavkat’s 0, that’s the energy, that’s the Goku spirit. I like that, let’s go Ian.”
? YT @stylebender h/t @MMAPROSPICK pic.twitter.com/mivPGHSk1m
Garry and Rakhmonov have both trained under Henri Hooft, and even sparred against one another. This grants both men some familiarity with each other’s style. Rakhmonov addressed the budding chatter around the viral sparring footage in a recent interview.
Shavkat Rakhmonov reacts to viral sparring video with rival Ian Garry
The 30-year-old fighter from Kazakhstan enjoys an unbeaten record of 18-0 in MMA with 100% finish rate. This is a rare feat that no other fighter has been able to replicate. Pointing at the previous sparring video, MMA fans and experts have given the edge to Rakhmonov. The viral clip features both men trading punches in a light sparring session.
Reacting to the viral clip, Rakhmonov claimed the video didn’t showcase an important moment. The Kazakh fighter blamed Garry’s wife for cropping out his submission. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Rakhmonov reacted to the viral video and detailed what actually occurred.
At the time, his wife asked me if she can film the footage of sparring and I accepted it. But they didn’t ask me if they release or no. I wonder why they didn’t release the other part of the video…Ian Garry taps….It was a submission choke.
Shavkat Rakhmonov via The Ariel Helwani Show
Shavkat Rakhmonov says there is more to his sparring video with Ian Machado Garry ? #HelwaniShow #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/jMbQOUAVtG
— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) December 3, 2024
Rakhmonov is stepping into his career’s 7th UFC fight with his title shot at stake. An upset loss here could push him back into the rankings, giving way for Garry to take on Belal Muhmmad next. Rakhmonov aims to bring another world title in combat sport to his home country, following the footsteps of legendary boxer Gennady Golovkin. Before that dream can turn true, ‘Nomad’ has to get past Ian Garry.
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Ayank Chourasia
(95 Articles Published)