Shavkat Rakhmonov takes the bait, answers call to Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s “top 5, top 10 max” demand for UFC debut fight
It appears as though Shavkat Rakhmonov is raising his hand to fight Michael 'Venom' Page should the Bellator star join the UFC.
In a video uploaded to Israel Adesanya's YouTube channel, Page discussed his current free agent status and what he envisions for himself should he sign with the UFC.
Rakhmonov mentioned that he doesn't believe he needs to prove anything. The 28-year-old used former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler as an example of what an ideal situation would be:
"I want Top 5, Top 10 max...We've seen it with Michael Chandler. He went there, fought a top 10 Dan Hooker, great first win for him that just sprung him into title contention. That is the route I see myself in. I don't see it in any other way. I don't need a warm-up fight, and it's not like I've been out of the game for ages. I'm ready to go now." [h/t MMA Mania]
Shavkat Rakhmonov saw 'MVP' remarks on Twitter and decided to respond to him and pose a question of his own. He asked whether a top-6 fighter would be acceptable, which insinuates that he'd be interested in welcoming him to the promotion, writing:
"How about #6? @Michaelpage247"
'Nomad' was scheduled to fight Kelvin Gastelum at Noche UFC, but after the former TUF winner was forced to withdraw, it would be interesting to see whether Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Michael 'Venom' Page becomes another option.
When did Shavkat Rakhmonov last compete?
Shavkat Rakhmonov has been a surging welterweight contender and most recently inserted himself in the welterweight title picture.
'Nomad' last competed at UFC 285, where he fought No.8 ranked welterweight Geoff Neal in a 175lb catchweight. It was an entertaining bout that saw the 28-year-old earn a third-round submission win that improved his unbeaten MMA record to 17-0 and post-fight bonus Fight of the Night.
What made the performance much more impressive was that 'Nomad' kept his flawless 100% finishing rate intact.