5 potential opponents for Shavkat Rakhmonov following his latest victory

After his big win over Neil Magny, who should be next for Shavkat Rakhmonov?

This weekend’s UFC Fight Night event saw surging welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov pick up his biggest win to date, as he defeated Neil Magny via submission in the second round.

Shavkat Rakhmonov’s victory over Neil Magny was largely flawless and should move him into the UFC’s top ten at welterweight, so who should be next for him?

1️⃣ 6️⃣ Fights
1️⃣ 6️⃣ Wins
1️⃣ 6️⃣ Finishes

Shavkat Rakhmonov remains undefeated! 🇰🇿

#UFCVegas57 https://t.co/kyaL59Xyhe

Thankfully, there should be no shortage of potential options for ‘The Nomad’, who appears to be a surefire title contender right now.

Here are five potential opponents for Shavkat Rakhmonov following his latest victory.

#5. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is probably the welterweight division's hottest prospect

One fight that has already been discussed by the fans for Shavkat Rakhmonov – and would definitely be fantastic – is a clash with fellow super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev.

Thanks to his huge win over Gilbert Burns earlier this year, ‘Borz’ is a few steps ahead of Rakhmonov right now, but based on what we’ve seen thus far from the two men, it’s hard to deny that they’re the best two up-and-comers in the 170lbs division at the moment.

Who would come out on top of this potential clash? It’s honestly hard to say. We know more about Chimaev against higher-level opponents thanks to his wins over Burns and Li Jingliang, and we also know that he’s a phenomenal wrestler who hits like a truck.

However, ‘Borz’ did show some chinks in his armor against Burns, and given that Rakhmonov has shown practically zero weaknesses thus far in his UFC run, there’d definitely be a chance that ‘The Nomad’ could find a path to victory.

Of course, it’s unlikely that the UFC would match these two against one another at this point as they tend to keep prospects apart, but it seems highly probable that they’ll face off – perhaps even for the welterweight title – at some point in the future.

Still, expect fans to be talking about this potential clash in the coming days.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Khamzat Chimaev might be an epic fight, but it's too early to book it.

Let's allow them to fully develop & clash when they're at their best #ufc

#4. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Sean Brady

Sean Brady might be flying under the radar, but he's one of the UFC's top welterweights

While the majority of the hype in the welterweight division has centered around Khamzat Chimaev – and is now likely to center around Shavkat Rakhmonov following his win over Neil Magny – it’s arguable that Sean Brady is just as good a prospect right now.

Currently ranked at No.9 in the division, Brady is unbeaten in MMA at 15-0 and has reeled in five straight wins in the octagon. His latest victory came last November over the highly rated grappler Michael Chiesa.

The fact that the native of Philadelphia is primarily a ground-based fighter in his own right has perhaps meant that he’s flown under the radar somewhat, particularly as he’s only finished two foes in the octagon thus far. However, it’s clear that he’s remarkably talented.

PHILLY TOUGH.

🔔 @SeanBradyMMA locks in the RD 3 sub!

[ LIVE on @UFCFightPass, ESPN2, #ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/vF2Eq8M1nO

Could Brady be the man to stop the hype train of Rakhmonov, then? It’s definitely possible. ‘The Nomad’ has finished all 16 of his career bouts thus far, but he hasn’t fought anyone who could stifle him in the same way that Brady would look to.

With a potential Chimaev vs. Rakhmonov fight, it’s questionable whether the UFC would want to match two high-end prospects against one another. However, as Brady isn’t a big name just yet, this fight isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

#3. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson

Stephen Thompson is still one of the welterweight division's toughest fighters

Once considered the trickiest match for most fighters in the welterweight division from a stylistic point of view, it’s probably fair to say that Stephen Thompson has fallen on hard times of late, thanks to his losses to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.

However, ‘Wonderboy’ is still ranked at No.7 and holds recent wins over Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque. That means that for a rising prospect like Shavkat Rakhmonov, he’d represent a potentially huge scalp.

🙌 YOU GOT TO LOVE IT. Wonderboy and Neal slinging heat to the very end! #UFCVegas17 https://t.co/1k5pI7dJjN

This fight would be hugely interesting because while ‘The Nomad’ loves to strike with his foes, as he showed in his win over Carlston Harris earlier this year, very few fighters have been able to get the better of ‘Wonderboy’ on the feet, even the likes of Luque and Jorge Masvidal.

However, given that he’s shown some issues with his ground game in his recent losses, Rakhmonov could perhaps find a way to victory in that area – and if he could find a way to submit Thompson, something that’s never been done before, it’d be hard to play down his talents.

Overall, this would be an excellent prospect vs. gatekeeper fight that would be well worth booking from the UFC’s perspective. Add to that the Kazakh fighter calling out 'Wonderboy' after his latest win, and it's easy to see the UFC considering this contest.

#2. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad is on one of the best winning streaks in the welterweight division

Were the UFC based purely around results, then Belal Muhammad might be considered the welterweight division’s hottest fighter right now. His unbeaten streak dates back to 2019, and he is currently riding a three-fight win streak over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque.

Muhammad made a statement at #UFCVegas51 😤 https://t.co/gceWSfB2JQ

However, ‘Remember the Name’ doesn’t have the most exciting fighting style, mainly based around his powerful takedowns and work in the clinch, and so despite being ranked at No.5, not many fans seem to be talking him up.

Realistically, the UFC would perhaps rather a flashier fighter take his spot near the top of the division, so could Shavkat Rakhmonov be that fighter?

On paper, at least, ‘The Nomad’ would appear to be a tricky fight for Muhammad, as he has deadly finishing skills in all areas and wouldn’t give him a moment to breathe.

However, Rakhmonov has never fought anyone like Muhammad yet, and there’d be a genuine chance that he could find himself stifled by ‘Remember the Name’ in a repeat of what happened to Luque, another dangerous finisher.

This could be an excellent bout that would be high-risk, high-reward for the surging Rakhmonov.

#1. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns could be considered the welterweight division's toughest gatekeeper

When the UFC wanted to test super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev at the elite level, the opponent they matched him with was Gilbert Burns. The former title challenger proved to be the toughest test of Chimaev’s career and, in the eyes of some fans, deserved the nod over him.

Despite that loss, the stock of ‘Durinho’ has arguably never been higher than it is now, but he hasn’t signed for another fight as of the time of writing. With that in mind, could he face another major prospect in Shavkat Rakhmonov?

It’d definitely be a fascinating fight to make. ‘The Nomad’ is a very different fighter to Chimaev – he’s more controlled in his attacks, but is arguably less powerful and doesn’t possess the same wrestling ability – though he’s probably no less dangerous.

However, Burns possesses a world-class grappling game and a much-improved striking one, making him a tough challenge for any 170lber on the planet. He’s also got a lot more experience at the top level, thanks to his fights with the likes of Kamaru Usman and Tyron Woodley.

🇧🇷 Dominant from start to finish! @GilbertDurinho #UFCVegas https://t.co/gH2K4o4NSj

Essentially, this fight would confirm Burns as the toughest gatekeeper in the welterweight division – and could allow Rakhmonov to travel on the same path to the top that Chimaev has followed.

Overall, it’d be an excellent fight for the UFC to make either later this year or early 2023.