The welterweight division of the UFC has become one of the, if not the most competitive division in the game, being filled with top-tier fighters. But no up-and-coming contender has put the division on notice quite like Shavkat Rakhmonov with each of his spectacular performances.
The fearsome Kazakhstani fighter, in his last appearance, faced the former title challenger Stephen Thompson with ease and is now ranked 3rd in the division, knocking on the doors of title contention.
Shavkat Rakhmonov sends stone cold warning to JDM
Along with Rakhmonov, another contender by the name of Jack Della Maddalena has also soared into the spotlight of the division by racking up an 8-fight win streak, most notably knocking out Gilbert Burns in their bout at UFC 299. Still remaining undefeated in the UFC, Maddalena, too, has set his sights on facing top-tier competition and capturing gold.
After the biggest win of his career so far against Burns, Maddalena issued a bold callout to Shavkat Rakhmonov, saying, “Shavkat Rakhmonov, I think you and I can make a hell of a title eliminator.”
Being a man of few words, Rakhmonov responded to Maddalena, stating that he will face ‘the same fate’ as all his previous opposition have had to go through. With the way the welterweight division is shaping up, a suitable matchup for the champion Leon Edwards is yet to be determined. It would only be right to let these two savages duel it out to set up a championship fight.
Shavkat’s record in UFC
Rakhmonov’s rise to the top of the 170lbs division is something that can concern the champion. Right from when he made his debut in 2020, Rakhmonov finished all four opponents that he faced until 2022, either by knockout or submission.
It was then that he put both his winning and finish streak at risk by facing top contender Geoff Neal. Neal made Rakhmonov go through adversities he had never faced before, but that did not stop him from getting tapped by the Kazakhstani in round 3.
After defeating Thompson, Rakhmonov now holds an 18-0 record with a 100% finish rate, and many almost expect him to become a UFC champion not too far from now. He would be a fierce challenge for even the toughest fighters in the company, and it will be exciting to see how the Kazakhstani’s run continues.
