Throwback: Khabib Nurmagomedov's father cornered Shavkat Rakhmonov for his MMA debut
Khabib Nurmagomedov's father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, was a part of Shavkat Rakhmonov's corner for his MMA debut.
The Russian trained fighters like Islam Makhachev, who not only fights in the UFC but has gone on to become the lightweight champion. Rakhmonov, meanwhile, is looking to have a similar result in the UFC after an impressive first few fights.
The Kazakh fighter made his MMA debut back in 2014 in the M-1 Challenge 52. He fought Adam Tusrov in a bout that took place in Nazran, Russia. Shavkat Rakhmonov made quick work of his opponent, submitting him in the very first round.
In a throwback video posted by @lockinmma on Instagram, Rakhmonov can seemingly be seen hugging Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov after his victory.
Take a look at the video:
While he's trained elsewhere during his career, 'Nomad' has expressed interest in wanting to train at the American Kickboxing Academy, where Islam Makhachev and many other Dagestani fighters train under Javier Mendez and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Shavkat Rakhmonov has put the entire welterweight division on notice, dominating in all of his appearances to date. His last fight saw him submit Neil Magny in June 2022. The Kazakh will look to break into the top five this year and potentially challenge for the title.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal has been postponed to UFC 285 in March
Shavkat Rakhmonov was looking to start off the new year by fighting No.7-ranked welterweight Geoff Neal at UFC Vegas 67 on January 14. However, the American had to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury.
The fight has been rebooked for UFC 285, which will take place on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Geoff Neal 
Shavkat Rakhmonov has been rebooked for #UFC285 
🚨 Geoff Neal 🆚 Shavkat Rakhmonov has been rebooked for #UFC285 🔥
This fight is 😍
Reported by @bokamotoESPN 🤝 https://t.co/hfj8Gc75iE
This fight between 'Nomad' and Geoff Neal could be a stepping stone to a possible clash against Khamzat Chimaev. 'Borz' has been complaining about not finding opponents willing to face him, while the Kazakh fighter has always spoken about wanting to fight the unbeaten star, insisting that he is better.