“I wasn’t distracted by the celebrations” - Focused Shavkat Rakhmonov stands by absence from sister’s wedding, prioritizes UFC 296 preparations
It's safe to say that Shavkat Rakhmonov is committed to his upcoming UFC 296 bout against Stephen Thompson, as he recently confirmed that he was absent from his sister's wedding as a result.
During his appearance on today's episode of The MMA Hour, the unbeaten surging welterweight contender addressed the viral video that made the rounds on social media regarding his absence from his sister's wedding. He mentioned that his fight against 'Wonderboy' remains a top priority and noted that missing his sister's big day was a sacrifice he believes he needed to make.
Rakhmonov said:
"I have to focus on the preparation at the moment…I’m very happy for my sister, she got married and I wish her only happiness, but getting ready for the fight and the fight is my job.”
'Nomad' brought up that he was proud of his sister and wished her a lifetime of happiness with her husband. He mentioned that he believes it was for the best that he remained in training camp rather than attend the wedding as he avoided distractions, saying:
"I have to focus on it [fight against Stephen Thompson] and maybe it's even better that I was here and I wasn't distracted by the celebrations...Just stayed focused on my fight."
It will be interesting to see whether Shavkat Rakhmonov can keep his unbeaten record intact as he looks to get one step closer to a welterweight title shot when he fights Stephen Thompson at UFC 296.
Shavkat Rakhmonov outlines plans for 2024
Shavkat Rakhmonov has been one of the most exciting welterweights in the UFC as he boasts an unbeaten 17-0 MMA record, with all of his wins coming via stoppage.
During the aforementioned appearance, the No.5 ranked welterweight expressed his interest in challenging for the UFC welterweight championship in 2024 and believes that he will be champion by the end of next year, saying:
"I wish to fight for the [UFC welterweight] title next year. And my goal is to win this belt and to bring this belt back to Kazakhstan."