UFC vet names Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry among quartet of fighters who could "define" welterweight division

A former UFC fighter has named Ian Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and two other fighters as people who could define the welterweight division in the time to come. Garry, who's viewed by many as a future champion, is beheld as a combat sports megastar in the making after fellow Irishman Conor McGregor.

On the From The Stands podcast, Dan Hardy recently indicated that the quartet of Garry, Rakhmonov, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady seem to be the future of the UFC welterweight division.

The former UFC welterweight title challenger implied that the division feels wide open and is going through a transitional phase. Hardy seemingly believes that longtime divisional elites, such as Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, are gradually being overtaken by newer faces, which he feels is a good thing.

Additionally, Hardy opined that everyone would be watching the Ian Garry-Michael 'Venom' Page matchup, alluding that its winner could emerge as a fresh face in the upper echelons at 170 pounds. Citing Garry and Page's personas and ability to pique fan interest, he highlighted that their fight could shape the rest of the division. 'The Outlaw' stated:

"We talk about Shavkat. And Ian Garry's talked about either him or Shavkat being the guy. Clearly, Ian Garry holds him in very high regard, as we all do as well. But Ian Garry and Shavkat are two of the new faces that are most likely going to define this division in a few years."

Hardy opined that the veteran Page's potential rise to the top would depend on his fight against Garry. Ultimately, 'The Future' ended up beating Page via unanimous decision. Besides, Hardy named Della Maddalena and Brady as future stars at welterweight:

"Jack Della Maddalena, some of the best hands in all of mixed martial arts, in my opinion. I think he's got very, very slick boxing. I think he can go a long way. Another one, Sean Brady. I still feel like Sean Brady is gonna be one of the most difficult fighters for any single person in the division."

Moreover, Hardy touched upon the upcoming rematch at UFC 304, a fight between UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. He warned that Muhammad could potentially upset the champion.

Check out Hardy's comments below (18:47):

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A closer look at rising welterweight star Ian Garry's UFC career

Presently, Shavkat Rakhmonov is at No. 3, Jack Della Maddalena stands at No. 5, Ian Garry holds the No. 7 spot, and Sean Brady finds himself at No. 8 in the official UFC welterweight rankings. Garry's rivals, Rakhmonov and Maddalena, are yet to taste defeat inside the octagon. As for Brady, he recently bounced back from a loss to Belal Muhammad by beating Kelvin Gastelum.

Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is unbeaten in his UFC run and overall MMA career thus far. Prior to his UFC 303 win over Michael Page, Garry had secured crafty victories over divisional staples such as Neil Magny and Geoff Neal.

Many have been calling for the UFC to book the long-awaited grudge match between Colby Covington and Ian Garry. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Irish fighter has underscored that he's willing to take on any opponent and has his sights set on the UFC welterweight title.