Shavkat Rakhmonov has an appointment against Ian Garry at UFC 310, but could there have been different matchups in store for the Kazakh phenom? Initially, Belal Muhammad, the reigning champion, was slated to defend his title against the surging Rakhmonov. However, a severe foot infection sidelined Muhammad, leaving the December 7th card without a main event.

While the UFC and Dana White pivoted to set up a title eliminator bout between the aforementioned undefeated welterweights, ‘Nomad’ has now revealed a surprising look at what happened behind the scenes. According to a recent report, the UFC had 3 names in line for Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, and their responses to the offer? They speak volumes.

Shavkat Rakhmonov reveals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington “rejected” UFC 310 bout against him

In a recent update shared on Instagram by Championship Rounds, it was reported, “Shavkat Rakhmonov reveals that the UFC offered Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, and Carlos Prates to fight him at UFC 310. He says Colby turned it down, Prates was injured and Kamaru accepted the fight at first, but ended up rejecting it in the end.”

Of the trio, only Prates had a legitimate excuse – an injury sidelined the Brazilian contender who is currently on a 4-fight win streak. For Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, the reasons remain less convincing. While ‘Chaos’ had earlier stated in an interview with Submission Radio, “I offered, I told the UFC that, you know, I was willing to step up to the plate.” However, Rakhmonov’s latest revelation paints an entirely different picture!

What about Kamaru Usman? The former welterweight king had previously stated on an episode of the ‘Pound-4-Pound’ podcast, “And if they do give me a call, I’m going to answer the call, we’ll get a couple of things straight and if we’ve got to do it, we’ve got to do it.”

However, as indicated by the recent statement by ‘Nomad’, Usman ultimately backed out. The Nigerian American’s last outing was also a short-notice bout against Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight at UFC 294, which ended in a decision loss for the former champion. Could this be the reason why he was apprehensive about taking on another relatively short-notice bout?

It’s tough to say, but Usman did address the issue in a recent episode of his podcast where he blasted the fans for seemingly “ducking” Rakhmonov. Usman stated bluntly, “This is a fight that I was potentially going to slide into. I’ve touched on this a million times, which is crazy to me because I’m seeing online people like, ‘Aw, you scared? You ducking? You ducking? You scared? You scared?’ What?”

While Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington may have turned down the opportunity, Ian Garry seized the moment. The Irish contender, known for his brash confidence and undeniable skill, recently shared that it’s not just him who believes his destiny is to reign over the UFC welterweight division!

Ian Garry reveals surprising details about Rakhmonov during his stint at Kill Cliff FC

Dubbed ‘The Future’, Ian Garry hasn’t stopped making waves ever since he arrived in the UFC. Scheduled for the co-main event of UFC 310, Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov will battle to keep their undefeated records intact. On the line is a shot at the elusive UFC welterweight gold.

Both men also have a history of training together at the renowned Kill Cliff FC gym in Deerfield Beach, Florida. During the UFC 310 countdown show, Ian Garry revealed an interesting tidbit from their time as training partners as he stated, “[Kill Cliff coach] Henri Hooft told me Shavkat Rakhmonov and him had a conversation, and he said [to me], ‘Shavkat knows you’re going to be the champion one day. But he says ‘Me first and him later.’ So.”

For Garry, the stakes are clear. He knows the climb to championship glory often requires stepping over allies. “It’s unfortunate that one of us is going to have to lose. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that he’s not getting his hand raised.”, ‘The Future’ admitted.

With stakes this high, neither man can afford to blink,  once the Octagon doors close behind them at UFC 310. Will ‘The Future’ prove his name’s prophecy, or will ‘Nomad’ continue his unbeaten journey to gold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!