Shavkat Rakhmonov's "lack of English" is the only thing stopping him from being a top UFC fighter, says teammate Ian Garry

Ian Garry is all praise for Sanford MMA teammate Shavkat Rakhmonov. According to 'The Future', the only hindrance to Rakhomonov's rising hype is the Kazakh's inability to speak in English.

According to Garry, 'Nomad' would be amongst the top fighters in the world if was comfortable conversing in English. Asked about Rakhmonov's recent win over Neil Magny, Garry told Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch ahead of UFC 276:

"Shavkat's a savage and he's just so well-rounded. Like, doing rounds with him in the gym, it's obviously a pleasure, like he's so good. And yeah, he deserves all the hype, I mean, the only reason that he isn't more hyped than he is is because of his lack of English. That's it. If he could sit up here and talk like me, he'd be one of the top in the world."

Watch Garry's appearance at the UFC 276 media day below:

Shavkat Rakhmonov currently holds a perfect 16-0 record that includes three UFC finishes. The Kazakh prospect headlined a UFC Fight Night against welterweight gatekeeper Neil Magny last weekend.

"Nomad" looked impressive, submitting Magny via gulliotine choke in the final seconds of the opening frame. Interestingly, Garry likes the fact that Rakhmonov's inability to speak English has forced the Kazakh to let his performances do the talking.

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"If you hit me, I know you're open somewhere" - Ian Garry talks Michael Johnson's fight advice

Ian Garry specifically mentioned Michael Johnson amongst the fighters he has worked with in preparation for his upcoming UFC 276 bout against Gabe Green. Garry lauded Johnson's speed and also revealed an important lesson he learned from the UFC lightweight.

Johnson pointed out to Ian Garry that getting hit means your opponent has provided you with openings. 'The Future' likes the idea of eating a shot to land four of his own. The Irish prospect told James Lynch and other reporters at the UFC 276 presser:

"Someone I did spend a lot of time with was Michael Johnson. My nutritionist pointed out that he has the exact same height and reach as Gabe. And MJ's got some of the fastest hands that we've seen. Like, when that guy puts a combination together, it's blistering quick. He's a dog, he's ruthless, he's not afraid to come forward. He said to me recently, 'If you hit me, I know you're open somewhere'. He's like, 'So I'll take one to give four back.' And I like that a lot."

One of the most promising prospects in the welterweight division, 'The Future' will be looking to record his tenth professional victory against Gabriel Green at UFC 276.

Having trained with former champions and some of the most elite competitors in the sport since his last outing, Gary will hope to secure another spectacular victory come fight night.