The stage for the future of the welterweight division was set on Saturday at UFC 310 when Shavkat Rakhmonov picked up a co-main event win over Ian Machado Garry.
In a fight dubbed as a title eliminator for champion Belal Muhammad’s belt, Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) earned a unanimous decision win over Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After the fight, Muhammad entered the octagon and had a faceoff with Rakhmonov, and the pair are expected to fight in the first half of 2025.