Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry will clash in the co-main event of UFC 310 on Dec. 7. With the pair having trained together in the past, they share a healthy respect for one another. However, during a recent interview, the Kazakh fighter made it clear that they are not friends.
Rakhmonov shared some chilling plans for his clash against 'The Future', with the 18-0 fighter eager to extend his unbeaten record and earn a shot at welterweight gold. 'Nomad' was recently interviewed by Daniel Cormier ahead of his title eliminator fight, who asked the undefeated fighter for his thoughts on the matchup.
He said this:
"I just want to go out and kick the s**t out of him."
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His comments prompted Cormier to ask him why he would plan to do that, given that they are "teammates and friends." Rakhmonov responded with this:
"I respect [Garry], but we're not friends... I respect him. No ill will towards him, but it's a sport. Let's find out who's the better man."
Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov's comments below (2:45):
With Rakhmonov holding a perfect 18-0 record, his opponent is not far behind him, as Garry holds a 15-0 record. Plenty will be on the line for both welterweight contenders when they enter the octagon, with a chance to maintain an undefeated record and secure a welterweight title shot on the line.
Ian Machado Garry warns Shavkat Rakhmonov not to use their training experiences at UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov have previously shared the training room at Kill Cliff FC. Ahead of their UFC 310 co-main event bout, rumors emerged that the Kazakh fighter submitted 'The Future' during one of their sparring sessions.
The Irishman confirmed those rumors to be true during an interview ahead of his clash with Rakhmonov, but warned his upcoming opponent not to take anything from their training sessions into the fight.
The 27-year-old was recently interviewed by MMA Junkie, where he said this:
"If he wants to latch onto a moment of success in training from two years ago and thinks I'm the same fighter I was then, then he would be sadly mistaken. I don't believe he is going to be latching on to anything like that. I believe he is being honest and he is saying this happened, which it did. But if I sit here and tell you the names I've gone out and beaten in sparring, it's just not relevant."
Check out Ian Machado Garry's warning to Shavkat Rakhmonov below (7:00):