Shavkat Rakhmonov reveals Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington turned down UFC 310 fight before Ian Garry
Ahead of his return at UFC 310 this weekend, the unbeaten, Shavkat Rakhmonov has claimed his pairing with former training partner, Ian Garry only came to fruition when both former champions, Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington refused to fight him on short-notice.
Rakhmonov, who currently resides at number three in the official welterweight rankings, will snap a year’s long hiatus from the Octagon this weekend as he takes on brief former training partner, Garry in a high-stakes, five round co-headliner at UFC 310 — with the victor billed to receive the next shot at the welterweight crown.
Sidelined since moving to 18-0 in December of last year, Uzbekistan native, Rakhmonov most recently turned in a submission win over former title challenger, Stephen Thompson — keeping his finishing run in mixed martial arts at a staggering 100 percent.
Shavkat Rakhmonov claims Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington refused fight at UFC 310
And initially scheduled to headline UFC 310 in a championship charge against the incumbent, Belal Muhammad, upon the Illinois native’s withdrawal through injury, Rakhmonov claims a pairing with Garry was only presented when both Usman and Covington refused to fight him at the event.
I wanted to fight Kamaru Usman, but he didn’t accept the fight,” Shavkat Rakhmonov told Submission Radio. “Also, they offered it to Prattes, but he was… And Colby Covington, he rejected the fight. I’m happy that Garry accepted the fight in the beginning. He accepted the fight, but then rejected it—uh, maybe he didn’t want to risk it. Of course, he doesn’t want to lose.
Yeah, I don’t care about Colby. But yeah, they offered him to fight me, but he was just talking. When it came to business, he rejected and disappeared.”
Himself booked to fight next weekend, Clovis native, Covington will headline UFC Fight Night Tampa, taking on the surging St. Louis native, Joaquin Buckley in his first Octagon appearance in a year to boot.
