"There is nothing extraordinary in what he does" - Shavkat Rakhmonov on a potential matchup with Khamzat Chimaev
Shavkat Rakhmonov is a hot welterweight prospect out of Kazakhstan that has finished all three of his UFC fights in dominating fashion. That's led to a lot of comparisons to another international welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev. People definitely want to see Rakhmonov and Chimaev fight, but according to Rakhmonov the timing just isn't right.
In a new interview with Smesh Bros, 'Nomad' said:
"If the rankings match right and the UFC makes that fight [with Chimaev], I'm going to do it without hesitation. But it's not the right time to call him out because he's got an upcoming fight and might fight for a title potentially. The call-outs are unnecessary now. Once I get to him [in the rankings] we'll fight."
Asked about Chimaev's impressive performances, Rakhmonov said:
"I'm not surprised at all. There's nothing extraordinary in what he does. Certainly he's a good wrestler and he does a great job out there, he feels confident too unlike his opponents. But if we fight it might be a different picture, a different fight."
Shavkat Rakhmonov is so sure he'll fight Khamzat Chimaev in the future, he's taking the fight into account when he considers where he trains. He said:
"If Khamzat is a potential opponent, how would I train with him in a same gym? I don't see it happening, because we're going to fight sooner or later. People want to see us fight, so I think it's a silly idea to train in the same gym. It's another thing if we fought for different promotions, but we fight in the UFC, so I don't see any point."
Watch the full Smesh Bros interview with Shavkat Rakhmonov below:
Shavkat Rakhmonov has one fight left on his UFC contract
Shavkat Rakhmonov has one fight left on his initial four fight UFC contract, and he's looking for a substantial pay bump when the time comes to renegotiate a new deal. During the Smesh Bros interview he confirmed he made 20k show / 20k win in his last fight in February 2022 (plus a 50k performance bonus). He's hoping to increase that figure for his second UFC contract.
He added:
"They have to [give me a raise]. Whatever they say, I don't really care. I should get more than what I make now. I deserve a raise for what I've done."
With fifteen pro fights and fifteen finishes, Rakhmonov certainly deserves to be paid like one of the best welterweights in the world, especially if he starts fighting them.
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