Ian Machado Garry might be the biggest betting underdog on the main card of UFC 310, but there are some quality names siding with ‘The Future’ this weekend in Las Vegas.
One such MMA expert who is picking the Irish Brazilian sensation is former middleweight world champion Israel Adesanya; with ‘The Last Stylebender’ revealing his prediction is based on some personal insight from his time training with ‘The Future’.
Israel Adesanya predicts Ian Machado Garry will defeat Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry remains a sizable underdog to Shavkat Rakhmonov, with a whopping 88% of the Tapology Community Picks going in favor of the undefeated Kazakh.
Yet there are plenty of fans and fighters who are predicting a shock upset in the UFC 310 co-main event, including former middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
“What I like about this, as a fan of technical ability and skilled fighters, this is what this [sport] is about,” stated the two-time 185lb champion via his official YouTube channel.
Whilst Adesanya doesn’t put much emphasis on the fact that Garry and Rakhmonov have trained together before, he did reveal that many might be underestimating the underdog’s grappling skills.
“Granted they’ve both trained with each other, it wasn’t anything in-depth but when you move around with someone enough times, you download information.
“Ian, the second Irish sensation… I’ve grappled with him [before], he’s a good grappler, I got him on my back and had to get him off me, he’s slick and knows how to put things together well.”
Adesanya labeled Rakhmonov as a “mauler”, someone who can find the path to victory in any and every facet of the fight game – and yet he’s still siding with underdog Garry to get it done in Las Vegas.
“I like this fight, but imma go with Ian Machado Garry – I think it’s going to go to a decision, but if Shavkat wins then he’ll probably submit Ian, but imma put my money on Ian.
“I saw a clip of him talking about Shavkat, talking about like ‘I want to be the guy to take that 0 away’ and I like that – that’s the energy, that’s that Goku spirit that only a few people have.”
Garry, like Adesanya, has found himself going from gym to gym, traveling the world as he builds his arsenal of weapons: “I like Ian’s journey, the way he travels the world with his family, literally some Goku s***… I like that, let’s go Ian!”
Ian Machado Garry admits Rakhmonov ‘tapped him’ in training at Kill Cliff
A significant storyline heading into the UFC 310 co-main event has revolved around Rakhmonov and Garry training together, albeit some time ago, out at Kill Cliff in Florida.
Speaking to TalkSport earlier this week, Garry would reveal that the undefeated ‘Nomad’ did submit him during those training sessions – but that won’t impact the fight come December 7.
“If he’s hanging onto something like that from training two or three years ago, guess what – do it on Saturday night, do it under the bright lights, do it when it matters most.
“Let’s see if you can do it, I promise you right now that he is not ready for the speed and the beauty – he’s going to look at me like ‘This guy is beautiful, what do I do?!’ – he’s going to be left speechless.”
The message from the brash undefeated superstar was a simple one; training is training, and he’s certainly not the same fighter who walked into Kill Cliff all those years ago.
“Yes, it’s training; dude, if I told you about all the people who I have absolutely burned and choked in training, you would say that I’m the best fighter in the world already.
“We’re all learning and practicing in training… For me, if he wants to hold onto anything from two or three years ago, then hold onto it – but I’m a different beast than what I was… Imma put a hole in his head on Saturday night.”