“They didn’t let it go…” UFC Tampa star takes a dig at Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry for delivering ‘Snoozefest’ fight

The highly anticipated fight between top welterweight fighters Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov did not impress another UFC prospect.


“They didn’t let it go…” UFC Tampa star takes a dig at Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry for delivering ‘Snoozefest’ fight

Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry after their fight at UFC 310 (Image via Bleacher Report)

The UFC welterweight division features some of the most thrilling MMA fighters in the world, including Ian ‘Machado’ Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Both fighters have impressive records and faced off against each other at UFC 310. However, their matchup did not impress another up-and-coming UFC welterweight prospect, Joaquin Buckley.

The fight between Garry and Rakhmonov captured significant attention in the UFC community. Their former partnership and perfect records in the promotion are two major reasons for this interest. As many had anticipated, the match between Garry and Rakhmonov lasted for five full rounds, featuring several highly buzzed moments. Despite that, Buckley was not impressed with their performance.

It was boring though… You’ve got two undefeated guys (Rakhmonov and Garry), you got one that’s a finisher and one that’s a sniper. I was expecting one of these guys to go out there and really give it all, not just remain undefeated but take someone’s 0 for real. Especially when you’ve got that title (shot) on the line…. and neither one of them did.

Joaquin Buckley via UFC Tampa Media day presser
YouTube video

Interestingly, Garry was not originally scheduled to face Rakhmonov. He was set to fight Buckley on the UFC Tampa fight card. However, after UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from his scheduled match against Rakhmonov, Garry stepped in to replace him. Meanwhile, Buckley was booked to fight former UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington instead at UFC Tampa.

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A few months ago, Buckley expressed a strong interest in facing Rakhmonov. However, that fight did not materialize because Rakhmonov was more focused on trying to compete against the UFC welterweight champion. In this context, Buckley shared an intriguing theory. As such, the welterweight prospect believes that if he defeats Covington in his upcoming match, he could be next in line for a title fight.

Joaquin Buckley believes he can ‘leapfrog’ Shavkat Rakhmonov for the next title shot

Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov is one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC’s welterweight division. Since his debut in 2020, Rakhmonov has defeated several formidable opponents. Due to his impressive performances, he was initially set to fight for the title at UFC 310. However, Rakhmonov’s chance was lost when Belal Muhammad had to withdraw from the bout.

Joaquin Buckley wants to replace Shavkat Rakhmonov for the title shot
Joaquin Buckley wants to replace Shavkat Rakhmonov for the title shot (Image via Instagram/@ufc)

Following his recent victory over Ian Garry, Nomad may have positioned himself for another title shot. Both Rakhmonov and Muhammad also faced off against each other at UFC 310. However, Buckley believes that the Kazakh fighter may not be next in line for a title shot. Instead, Buckley has offered an interesting perspective on the situation.

Man, I feel like I’m leapfrogging over Shavkat… I feel like he’s injury prone too, I feel like he’s always getting injured or something’s always wrong with him. So, he might not even show up to the fight, it might just be me and Belal next year.

Joaquin Buckley via UFC Tampa Media day presser

After Rakhmonov’s fight, the Nomad revealed that he competed with an active MCL injury. However, the extent of the damage from the torn MCL is still uncertain. Meanwhile, Muhammad has recently recovered from a toe infection. According to Buckley, if he defeats Covington this weekend and Rakhmonov takes a long time to recover, Buckley may be next in line for a title shot against Muhammad.