UFC star Shavkat Rakhmonov shuts down Ian Machado Garry’s No. 1 contender demand

Shavkat Rakhmonov doesn’t believe Ian Machado Garry should be the No. 1 contender for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Rakhmonov was in attendance for UFC Qatar. In the co-main event, Machado Garry took on Belal Muhammad in a pivotal 170-pound clash. “The Future” defeated Muhammad via unanimous decision. After the fight, Machado Garry called for a shot at Islam Makhachev’s welterweight gold.

Rakhmonov has since taken to his X account to disagree with Machado Garry’s claim that he is the most deserving contender at welterweight.

“No trash talk, just facts: Ian Garry lost to me while I was injured. He hasn’t finished anyone in his last six fights, and Prates nearly stopped him. Doesn’t sound like a #1 contender to me.”

The comment likely won’t sit well with Machado Garry, who has shown respect for Rakhmonov since their UFC 310 clash in late 2024. The two even embraced during Garry’s entrance at UFC Qatar, but Rakhmonov believes there is at least one contender who is more deserving.

While many believe that Rakhmonov would give Makhachev his toughest test at 170 pounds, injuries prevented him from competing in 2025. There is currently no word on when Rakhmonov will return to the Octagon. He had been planned to challenge for the UFC Welterweight Championship when Muhammad was the titleholder.

Machado Garry recently appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show” and said that as long as Rakhmonov is inactive, he shouldn’t be considered an option in the welterweight title race (via MMAJunkie).

“With all due respect to Shavkat, and I have nothing but respect for him, let’s talk about him when he’s actually back because he’s not right now,” Garry said. “So in my mind, he’s just trying to maintain relevance by showing up at these fights and being in the picture and saying he’s going to be back. But, he’s not back.”