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(Image Courtesy: Imago)
Ian Garry successfully maintained his undefeated streak after a unanimous win over Neil Magny at UFC 292. Following his win, he called out Khamzat Chimaev in the division. However, UFC legend Chael Sonnen believes that there might be different plans in mind for the Irish star.
‘The Future’ dominated Neil Magny at UFC 292. Following that fight, he first called out Stephen Thompson for his next matchup. Moreover, he even took the opportunity to mention that he wants to fight the undefeated Swedish fighter Khamzat Chimaev, too. However, ‘The American Gangster’ says that ‘Dana White Privilege’ might come into play and Garry could get pitted against another undefeated star.
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Chael Sonnen believes Dana White will set up a fight between Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov
The UFC legend recently posted a YouTube video, talking about breaking into the top 10 as a big deal. People are always interested to see the top 10 fighters go head-to-head. Chael Sonnen said, “You start to get to the top 10, which is an actual real thing that people do care about. The rules are different.”
Furthermore, he believes that fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov makes complete sense for Ian Garry. It is because both are rising stars and are currently undefeated in the UFC and their overall MMA careers. Moreover, Sonnen also believes that the result of the fight will not be that much of a big deal.
“Going out and dealing with Rakhmonov is extremely important. Why? Well, because they’re both undefeated. But why? Well, because they’re both rising stars. But why? Because the outcome doesn’t matter,” said Chael Sonnen. He also mentioned that Dana White can only give him a limited amount of protection.
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Sonnen claims ‘Dana White Privilege’ is “limited”
Chael Sonnen is aware that certain fighters always get protected by the promotion. It is applicable to Ian Garry because he is more charismatic than most of the other fighters. There is a lot of money that can be made with him fighting on any card. However, there is a limit to that protection. ‘The American Gangster’ added, “We have a clear monetizable, groomable, box office attraction with Garry. There’s a level of protection that comes with… what do people call that? ‘Dana Privilege’… It’s extremely limited.”
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May 10, 2023, Charlotte, NC, North Carolina, USA: CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – May 10: Ian Garry addresses the media ahead of his bought at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Almeida on May 13th, 2023 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Charlotte, NC USA – ZUMAp175 20230510_zsa_p175_004 Copyright: xMattxDaviesx
Moreover, he sees the potential in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He may not be as over with the fans as much as Ian Garry is. However, Sonnen believes that the moment for the Kazakh fighter to become a big draw is coming soon. “Rakhmonov is not over, but it’s coming. It’s close. I can feel it,” Chael Sonnen added.
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It remains to be seen how the UFC will navigate the trajectory of Ian Garry’s career. He has proved to be quite the bankable fighter when it comes to getting people invested and interested. He is still just 25 years of age and has a long career ahead of him. We will have to wait and see how things pan out for ‘The Future’.
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