Ian Garry 'very happy' despite first professional defeat of his career ...
DUBLIN's Ian Garry suffered the first defeat of his professional career last night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Shavkat Rakhmonov edged out the previously unbeaten Irish welterweight star to extend his perfect record.
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Garry dropped to 15-1 after the unanimous decision loss as the Kazakh fighter moves to 19-0.
The high-level contest was a back and fourth one with both fighters having opportunities to win the contest but Rakhmonov's grappling proved to be the decisive factor in the bout at T-Mobile Arena.
The Irishman was the first fighter to take Shavkat Rakhmonov the distance inside the octagon as the co-main event went all-five rounds.
Garry had Rakhmonov is serious trouble in the closing seconds of the contest, the Irish fighter locked in a tight rear naked choke, but his opponent managed to break free before the horn sounded.
Ireland's Garry lost the contest as his 30-year-old Rakhmonov took all three judges scorecards by unanimous decision, 48-47, 48-47, 48-47.
Rakhmonov will now earn a UFC title bout against champion Belal Muhammad after the win in the number one contender scrap.
Portmarnock native Garry has taken positives from the loss despite the defeat.
Speaking in the post-fight press conference, the former Cage Warriors champions said he lost the fight "by opinion."
Garry said: "In victory and in defeat, I'm still the same person. I am humble in victory and defeat, I always have been.
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"And I do not feel like I lost today. My hand might not have got raised, but I came out and I fought a giant, I came out and I fought the bogeyman. And I showed that he’s f****** human.
"I went out there on three weeks’ notice and I saved this event, I saved this card against the scariest man in the division, and I went out there and I stopped almost everything.
"There was at no point that he looked like he would finish the fight; I put him in two submissions, I took his back, I had fun.
"I showed that I can hang with the single best in the division, and I proved tonight - on short notice - that I can absolutely be a champion.
"And I can do it for five rounds and there is no holes in my game, there was nothing that man brought from me tonight.
"He won by opinion, and that is ok. I can live with that, and I am very happy with my performance tonight."
