Khamzat Chimaev is wild, Shavkat Rakhmonov much more technical - Vicente Luque addresses UFC welterweights' comparisons

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Khamzat Chimaev (left), Vicente Luque (center), Shavkat Rakhmonov (right) [Images courtesy of UFC on YouTube & @shavkatrakhmonov94 on Instagram]

UFC welterweight Vicente Luque has given his thoughts on the comparisons between rising stars Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov.

It speaks to the level of competition in the welterweight division that fans are already discussing its next generation. 'Borz' only made his UFC debut in 2020 and quickly racked up a fan following. Now discussions have turned to another up-and-comer, Shavkat Rakhmonov, who also first featured that same year.

'Nomad' defeated UFC veteran Neil Magny last week with a dominant performance, submitting the American in the second round. Rakhmonov earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his win. When the latest rankings update dropped, he climbed a stunning five places and now sits at No.10 in the welterweight division.

Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, Brazilian welterweight Vicente Luque provided his analysis on the comparisons between the two 170lbs prospects:

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"Definitely you can compare them but it's different styles. I would put Shavkat [Rakhmonov] as much more technical, much more conscious of what he's doing. [Khamzat] Chimaev is great as well but he's more wild. He likes to go in there and have fun. It's two different approaches but definitely comparable in the sense they're both undefeated, great prospects and both dangerous guys."

Khamzat Chimaev's UFC run so far has been nothing short of remarkable. Multiple Fight and Performance of the Night bonuses and a record-setting 10-day fight turnaround will likely never be matched. 'Borz' has only fought once more than 'Nomad' in the UFC but finds himself seven places higher in the rankings.

While both men are deemed to be the future of the division, Chimaev looks set to challenge for gold first. Rakhmonov will likely have to earn a few more wins over ranked opponents before the two prospects come to blows.

Watch Vicente Luque's interview on Sportskeeda MMA's YouTube channel here:

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Anthony Smith believes the UFC must wait to pull the trigger on a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov

The welterweight division has a plethora of talent and no pair illustrates this more highly than Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Both fighters debuted in the UFC in 2020 and are undefeated in their professional MMA careers.

'Nomad' has a finish in all four of his UFC appearances. 'Borz' has finished all but one, instead putting on a Fight of the Night display in a unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

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UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has pleaded with the UFC to hold off on booking a fight between the pair for as long as possible. On a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, 'Lionheart' said:

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"If you do it now, you burn it. You burn one of them, like one of these long time contenders... I don't feel you waste that kind of a fight at that level with two guys that are so f**king good and have such a high ceiling. I don't know if you waste that at a Fight Night main event or a three-rounder on a pay-per-view card. That's a money-maker down the road if both of those guys continue to do their job."

Both Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov are tipped to be the future of the welterweight division. The pair are only two of three fighters under the age of 30 in the 170lbs top 10. The UFC could bank on a future bout between the pair as their ceilings suggest they will be around the top of the weight class for a long time.

Catch the latest episode of the Believe You Me podcast here:

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