Ian Machado Garry had Shavkat Rakhmonov on his mind before he ever signed on to fight the undefeated contender ... telling TMZ Sports he told the UFC he wanted to serve as backup for the UFC 310 main event before Belal Muhammad pulled out with an injury.
TMZ Sports talked to the No. 7-ranked, 15-0 fighter just days before his title eliminator vs. 18-0 Shavkat, the No. 3-ranked challenger.
"For me, it wasn't a hard decision whatsoever.