Shavkat Rakhmonov would possibly simply be essentially the most feared fighter within the UFC.
The undefeated Kazakh fighter has had a meteoric stand up the UFC‘s rankings, ascending to the No.5 ranked welterweight on the planet after solely 5 fights contained in the promotion’s iconic octagon.
The terrifying 29-year-old contender takes on Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson at UFC 296 this weekend understanding a press release win will instantly catapult him into title competition.
Rakhmonov will little question have one eye on the primary occasion on the T-Cell Enviornment in Vegas. A win over two-time title challenger Thompson might make him subsequent in line to face the winner of Saturday’s headline bout between champion Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.
Nonetheless, ‘Nomad’ is already a trailblazer within the sport having grow to be the primary Kazakh citizen to be signed to the UFC.
The 6ft 1in welterweight is a person of few phrases however has already captured the creativeness of MMA followers together with his stoic manner and Khabib-like wolfskin headgear.
“It’s a conventional Kazakh headdress that our ancestors used to put on throughout the wintertime to maintain themselves heat,” Rakhmonov defined on The MMA Hour.
“Myself, I really feel prefer it’s a really stunning headdress, and sporting it, I get to characterize my roots, characterize my tradition and custom. Historically this headdress is normally made up out of a wolf or fox pores and skin.
“After I was preparing for my UFC debut, I received it as a present. I received the nationwide flag and this headdress. I needed to purchase it myself, however then when individuals came upon that I needed to stroll out with the headdress, they gave me it as a present.”
The cold-blooded combined martial artist made his UFC debut in 2020. Since then he has been a one-man wrecking crew, blasting via his opponents in devastating vogue whereas sustaining a 100 per cent end document.
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Shavkat, who has a 17-0 document in MMA, confronted off towards Alex Oliveira on his debut at UFC 254 and completed the Brazilian inside the primary spherical with a nasty guillotine choke.
Rakhmonov adopted that spectacular efficiency up by beating UFC vet Michel Prazeres by way of a rear bare choke throughout a UFC Combat Night time occasion in July 2021.
‘Nomad’ saved his unbeaten profession document intact at UFC Combat Night time 200 a yr later when he landed a savage spinning wheel kick on opponent Carlston Harris.
Shavkat completed the battle with vicious ground-and-pound, demonstrating his versatile arsenal whereas placing the whole division on discover.
By that time he was properly on UFC color commentator Joe Rogan‘s radar. Throughout an episode of his podcast, the comic advised buddy and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Eddie Bravo, “He is [Shavkat] one of the under-the-radar man’s ever.
“Everyone’s avoiding him… he is a stable wrestler and a stable striker too. He is received a depraved spinning again kick.”
“That man’s scary,” Bravo replied.
Rogan and Rakhmonov would meet within the flesh at UFC 285 following Shavkat’s remaining spherical submission victory over Geoff Neal.
Rogan paid the 170lb contender the last word respect by conducting the post-fight interview sporting the standard Kazakh wolfskin headdress.
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Quick-forward a yr and Rakhmonov was below the intense lights of a giant PPV occasion at UFC 285.
The stone–confronted murderer was correctly examined for the primary time in his UFC profession by No. 7 ranked welterweight Geoff Neal, however was nonetheless capable of end the battle within the third spherical by way of a rear-naked choke submission, incomes himself his first Combat of the Night time award within the course of.
After a cancelled battle with Kelvin Gastelum, ‘Nomad’ now faces ‘Wonderboy’ with a possible title battle on the opposite aspect of a victory.
That being mentioned, he isn’t getting forward of himself earlier than squaring off towards the 40-year-old.
“All I wish to say is that I’m already able to battle for the title and the win over Stephen Thompson will probably be one more reason to show that I’m prepared,” Rakhmonov advised The MMA Hour. “I don’t know what’s going to occur after, I simply wish to deal with Stephen Thompson and we’ll discover out what’s going to occur after.”
“Solely God is aware of, however I want to battle for the title subsequent yr,” he added. “My objective is to win this belt and to carry this belt again to Kazakhstan.”
