Joaquin Buckley makes surprising prediction for Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry fight at UFC 310: "By the skin of his teeth"

Joaquin Buckley thinks oddsmakers could be proven wrong in the upcoming Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry fight. The pair will compete in the welterweight title eliminator bout in the UFC 310 co-main event on Dec. 7, and it marks one of the first significant showdowns between next-generation UFC fighters.

While betting odds favor Rakhmonov, fellow welterweight Buckley thinks Garry will outwork the Kazakhstan native to snatch a victory. In an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Middle Easy, Buckley said:

“A lot of people are not going to believe me, but I think Ian Garry is going to win – by the skin of his teeth just like the rest of his wins that he had. Whether that’s with MVP or with Geoff Neal."

'New Mansa' explained the logic behind his surprising prediction, saying:

“[Garry] does a good job of staying safe and surviving, and if you don’t have the feet to kind of hunt down guys like that, where they’re constantly moving and constantly evading, and you set up traps. Obviously, you’re not going to be able to land those power shots. … If you get in the fire with Shavkat Rakhmonov, you’re going to get burned. But I don’t see Ian Garry running into that burning house. He’s going to try to flee and evade the whole time, and I can see Ian Garry getting his hand raised by decision.”

Check out Joaquin Buckley's comments below (08:08):

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Joaquin Buckley sees opportunity in fight against Ian Machado Garry getting canceled

Shavkat Rakhmonov was scheduled to challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad for the title at UFC 310. However, Muhammad was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection. Ian Machado Garry, who was set to take on Joaquin Buckley on Dec. 14, was pulled from the fight to face Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

As a result, Buckley will now face former interim champion Colby Covington on Dec. 14. While a potential win over Garry could have added more weight to Buckley's title run in the present circumstances, he sees an opportunity in the situation.

Speaking in the aforementioned interview with Middle Easy, 'New Mansa' said the cancellation will only set up an even bigger showdown in the future:

"I think [Ian Machado Garry] is still going to be a good fight in the future. But I feel like why not set up that fight to be bigger, you know, with either him or myself having that belt. That can cause that fight to be even bigger than what we could have made in December." [2:35]

Covington is a multiple-time title challenger and a former interim champion. Buckley feels that defeating an opponent like him will prove his mettle and set the stage for more significant matchups.