The final round was a rollercoaster of emotions and momentum. In a shocking turn of events, Garry took Rakhmonov’s back on the ground and nearly locked in a rear-naked choke. Rakhmonov strained and twisted and eventually turned into Garry. The two got to the feet briefly where Garry landed one hard strike before the final horn.

Rakhmonov failed to score a stoppage for the first time in his pro career, but he still looked every bit of a title contender

Shavkat Rakhmonov has his title fight, but he had to survive a late scare from Ian Machado Garry to get there.