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Shavkat Rakhmonov on fighting Ian Machado Garry injured: ‘Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would’ve refused’

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Shavkat Rakhmonov on fighting Ian Machado Garry injured: ‘Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would’ve refused’

Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn't competed since defeating Ian Machado Garry, essentially on one leg, after dealing with knee injuries for nearly two years.

Rakhmonov was slated to fight then-champ Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 in December 2024, but Muhammd withdrew due to injury. Rakhmonov, despite having a miniscus and ACL injury, remained on the card and faced Machado Garry in a No. 1 contender fight, winning a competitive decision.

In a rare interview, Rakhmonov discusses his injuries, and decision making, while also taking a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov and current welterweight champ Islam Makhachev.

“Well that's my problem, I couldn't fight,†Rakhmonov told Alf Global. “If I had fought, I could've become champion, but that's how it turned out. I was injured. What can I do? We are only human. We are bound to make plenty of mistakes. …

“I actually shouldn't even have fought Ian Garry at all. With injuries like that, I shouldn't have fought at all, I just took a risk. That's the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring. They're not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter like Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would've refused.â€

Rakhmonov put over Machado Garry as a great and well-rounded fighter, but obviously believes had he been healthy, it would've been a victory by a wider margin.

“I already had an injury going into the Ian Garry fight,†Rakhmonov explained. “I stepped in, I hadn't fought for a year, I wanted to fight. Even before that, I had health problems, too, and it turned out there were only two weeks left before the Ian Garry fight.

“That old injury was still bothering me a lot. My leg was swollen. And when he was striking me, it was probably because I completely lacked a ligament. I couldn't really feel that strike, in general.â€

Rakhmonov was on the road to a return to the octagon before re-injuring his knee again that has kept him out of action another full year. “Nomad†is 19-0, including a 7-0 run in the UFC — stopping the likes of Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny.

Makhachev had recently said prior to his UFC 330 title defense against Machado Garry that he doesn't believe Rakhmonov will fight again after the injuries he has sustained. He hopes to return to action in 2027, but Rakhmonov would be lying if he said it's 100 percent he'll return to the UFC.

““Time will tell,†Rakhmonov said. “It's too early to say anything yet. I'll do my best to come back and win the title. Time will reveal everything.â€

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‘If I fight him right now, I beat him’: Ian Machado Garry on loss to Islam Makhachev, when he wants to return

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‘If I fight him right now, I beat him’: Ian Machado Garry on loss to Islam Makhachev, when he wants to return

Ian Machado Garry is keeping his head held extremely high following UFC 330, and his loss to Islam Makhachev.

Machado Garry lost a competitive decision to the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world in August, and ahead of Katie Taylor's final fight at Croke Park in Ireland, Machado Garry discussed his feelings about the fight with Makhachev.

“Proud, happy, proud of me and my team, my preparation, everything we did,†Machado Garry told DAZN. “Obviously, annoyed by the result, that's the fight game. We get back on the horse, we go again. Because I've got 10 years in this sport to be at the highest level, fight the baddest men in the world, beat them, and prove that I'm one of the baddest men walking the planet.â€

Machado Garry's performance drew criticism from UFC CEO Dana White for his lack of fire in terms of trying to hurt Makhachev, electing to show, perhaps, too much resppect for the welterweight champion.

Regardless, “The Future†feels if they ran it back — literally, anytime — he would be the one walking out of the octagon as the champion.

“I definitely think the biggest thing I could've done was a bit more volume,†Machado Garry said. “A bit more me, a bit more kicks, more venom in the shots to the head. But at the end of the day, when you're stood in front of a man who has been able to beat everyone he's stood in front of, it's difficult to maneuver that.

“But I feel like if I fight him right now, I beat him. I have so much confidence in myself, so much confidence in my team and the preparation that we do. I just want to get back in there tomorrow and do it all over again.â€

In regards to when Machado Garry would like to return to action in the stacked welterweight division and keep his name in the championship hunt, he says he's just waiting on that phone to ring.

“As soon as physically possible,†Machado Garry said. “Anyone, anywhere, anytime, go back in there, prove I'm one of the baddest men on the planet. Don't stop.â€

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UFC Paris main event winner Salahdine Parnasse calls Max Holloway ‘my dream fight’

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UFC Paris main event winner Salahdine Parnasse calls Max Holloway ‘my dream fight’

Salahdine Parnasse scratched another goal off of his list after securing his first UFC win Saturday in his home country, and he believes he's already in reach of another major milestine.

The former two-division KSW champion showed why he was a prized signing as he needed a little more than half a round to score a vicious knockout over longtime lightweight contender Dan Hooker in the UFC Paris main event.

In his post-fight interview, Parnasse celebrated by calling for a fight with Max Holloway.

“I'm ready for the next fight, top 5,†Parnasse said via a French translator. “My dream fight is Max Holloway. Max Holloway is the legend. Big respect, Max Holloway, my dream fight is Max Holloway. … I'm ready for Max Holloway or top 5, UFC, I'm ready.â€

Holloway is coming off of a win over longtime rival Conor McGregor at UFC 329, though the bout was widely considered a disappointment due to McGregor suffering a fight-ending knee injury that led to a stoppage in just 69 seconds. “Blessed†appears to be biding his time as the top names in the lightweight division are sorted, so his schedule might not line up with Parnasse's in the near future.

“He's a very well-conditioned guy,†Parnasse said. “He was the champion, ‘BMF' champion. It's always been a dream just to see who's better conditioned, me or him.â€

Parnasse has now won six straight fights and 11 of his past 12, and he's no stranger to marquee matchups having competed in multiple championship bouts at 155 and 145 pounds during a successful stint with KSW. Now that he's in a new promotion, his goal remains the same.

“I'm going after the belt,†Parnasse said. “I want to go step by step and keep moving up the division and I want to be the best in the world.â€

Asked for a timetable for a title fight, Parnasse offered a guess.

“We'll see, I hope maybe my third fight,†Parnasse said. “We'll see.â€

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page laments another boring performance at UFC Paris: ‘I know I can do better’

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page laments another boring performance at UFC Paris: ‘I know I can do better’

Michael “Venom†Page promised something spectacular would happen in his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris on Saturday, but instead it felt like another predictably lackluster outing.

Page got the job done with a unanimous decision victory, but he also only landed 12 significant strikes across three rounds. He didn't put Ruziboev down one time during the 15-minute fight, and the crowd in Paris was anything but satisfied with his performance. Considering he was competing on the final fight his current UFC contract, Page had to know the pressure was ratcheted up for his latest performance and he acknowledged afterwards that he didn't live up to his own expectations.

“The frustrating thing is I feel great,†Page said in a post-fight interview with UFC. “Sometimes, I haven't done enough and the results show that I haven't done enough. I probably need to push myself a little bit more, take a few more risks. Sometimes I want it to be too clean, too just precise. I just know to myself, I know there's more and it's frustrating as I get to the cage, I feel like I'm holding back.

“I want to give more. The fans deserve more, the UFC deserves more. I know I can give more. I feel like I'm almost there.â€

Being “almost there†as Page turned 39 years old back in April is a dubious distinction for a fighter who built his reputation on delivering dazzling knockouts and showcasing the kind of creativity that made him one of the most exciting fighters in the world.

But through six UFC fights thus far, Page has failed to earn a single finish, and he's faced far more criticism for his performances than any kind of praise despite putting together a 5-1 record.

“I'm going to have to doctor my style a little bit more,†Page said. “Maybe adapt it so people feel more comfortable coming forward and that also might make me slightly less dangerous but maybe over volume, I'll still get it. I've got to go back to the drawing board.

“I don't know the exact answer. Go back to the drawing board, test it out when I'm sparring and see what happens.â€

With his UFC contract completed, Page now has to sit down with the matchmakers and executives at the promotion and find out if they want him back or not.

At his best, Page is absolutely a top 15 fighter but his entertainment value has plummeted with his recent performances. Page isn't oblivious to the boos from the crowd and he knows he has to do a lot more in his fights if he wants bigger and better opportunities.

“I'll sit down with the UFC and have an honest conversation,†Page said. “Look, I know I can do better. I'm aspiring to do better. Give me better opponents and have faith I can go deliver something special for the crowd.â€

Whether or not the UFC believes what Page is selling is a whole other story and only time will tell if the organization makes him an offer for a new deal or the two sides just part ways and “MVP†becomes a free agent heading into 2027.

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