At UFC 310, someone’s ‘0’ has got to go! Shavkat Rakhmonov, the undefeated wrecking ball with a 100% finish rate, and Ian Garry, the Irish sensation with an unbeaten record of his own are ready to throw down. Due to the welterweight champion Belal Muhammad suffering from a serious infection that put him in the hospital, the two rising stars will face off in a title eliminator bout. While the fight promises fireworks, a growing section of fans believes the pressure on ‘Nomad’ is heavier than ever. 

In a recent post on Reddit, a user brought up an interesting point as they asked, “Everyone is praising Garry for taking the Shavkat fight, but why is everyone ignoring Shavkat, who is risking a lot more?” They further pointed out that while Garry deserves respect for accepting the Rakhmonov fight on relatively short notice, ‘Nomad’ has a lot more riding on the outcome of the bout. Why?

According to the post, “Shavkat is the one with a title fight on the line and accepted a bout against a much lower-ranked opponent. If he loses, he’ll be out of the title picture for a while. Even if he wins, he doesn’t get an interim belt and stays in the exact same spot, waiting for Belal.”

For Ian Garry, the stakes are different. A loss could be brushed off as a lesson learned, with minor damage to his growing reputation. In contrast, for Rakhmonov, a single misstep could derail his carefully built momentum. However, the matchup has left the fans in a heated discussion over which welterweight contender is putting more on the line at UFC 310. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say. 

Fans left debating the consequences of a loss at UFC 310 for Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry

One fan pointed out that the reason people aren’t concerned for Shavkat Rakhmonov is because of his past fights and his willingness to take on all challengers. In fact, when the bout with Ian Garry was announced, ‘Nomad’ took to social media and fired off a pointed jab against the top names in the 170 lbs. division by stating, “I’m very disappointed in our division. Belal, Leon, Colby, Kamaru, Jack, Sean – you’ve all let fans down. The only one who backed up his words is Ian, and I respect that. But make no mistake, @iangarryMMA – I’m coming for your 0 and will fight for the belt after”

“It’s because everyone already knows Shavkat ain’t no b—h, he’s been about that life.”

Others brought up the fact that Garry is being given credit because many people think he cannot de-rail Rakhmonov’s momentum. According to DraftKings, the Irishman is currently a +270 underdog against ‘Nomad’ who is considered a -340 favorite in the matchup. (Odds subject to change)

“I think everyone is prasing Ian because no one thinks he has a chance”

For some fans, Garry was the most “sensible” fight for Rakhmonov to take. Why? According to them, the ‘Future’ may be the toughest test for ‘Nomad’ in his 6-fight UFC run so far. While Garry has amassed 2-more UFC fights under his belt, both men have wins over Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. And while Rakhmonov faced off against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson at UFC 296 in his last win, Garry secured a unanimous decision win over Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303. So, will ‘The Future’ be the roadblock for ‘Nomad’s title aspirations? What do you think?  

“It should also be because this is an actually sensible fight for Shavkat. He was the most deserving contender, but only because Belal already beat so many guys. Ian Garry will be his first elite test. Wonderboy was not title eliminator level anymore”

But not all the fans are on board with the idea that Rakhmonov has nothing to lose. They rightly brought up the fact that he last fought at UFC 296 in 2023, quite a long break for a title contender. As such, if the rest of the division’s top fighters like no. 4 ranked Jack Della Maddalena were to beat no. 2 ranked Kamaru Usman, in a division as stacked as welterweight, being out of sight often means being out of mind.

“Shavkat could easily get passed up if he decides not to fight. He hasn’t fought in a very long time and if JDM beats an Usman while Shavkat doesn’t fight then he loses his spot in line.”

However, what about the UFC and Dana White? One fan pointed out that from the promotion’s perspective, this fight is a masterpiece. It’s the perfect narrative, regardless of who wins. If Garry pulls off the upset, the promotion gains a marketable star with the momentum of a runaway freight train. If Rakhmonov wins, he solidifies his status as the division’s apex predator, with an added feather in his cap for dismantling a hyped prospect.

“Best fight on the card for sure . Also a win-win for ufc , you either get Garry for the title with full hype of beating a guy who was a total killer with 100% finish rate. If shavkat wins (I think he will) he gets a win over a big name that maybe gives him some juice for casuals to watch him destroy Belal.”

As the countdown to UFC 310 continues, the MMA community remains divided. Some see Garry as the fearless underdog stepping into uncharted waters, while others argue Rakhmonov is risking far more with his golden ticket to a title shot on the line. So, who will emerge unscathed? Will Ian Garry’s boldness pay off, or will Shavkat Rakhmonov’s precision and ferociousness prevail? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!