UFC lightweight casts doubt on Shavkat Rakhmonov's skillset despite win over Ian Machado Garry: "There's so much hype behind him right now"
A UFC lightweight recently voiced skepticism about Shavkat Rakhmonov's skillset, even after his triumph over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310. 'Nomad' secured a gritty unanimous decision win, with all three judges scoring the bout 48-47 in his favor against Garry last weekend at the iconic T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Although Rakhmonov managed to maintain his unbeaten record, he surrendered his flawless finishing streak in a hard-fought battle. The bout saw him facing challenges at various moments against Garry, including a narrow escape from a deep rear-naked choke applied by 'The Future' in the final round.
The undefeated Kazakh's perceived vulnerabilities in his ground game have sparked discussions, with Chase Hooper calling for Rakhmonov to face a top-tier grappler in the division to truly gauge his skills.
During a recent interview with Home of Fight, 'The Dream' said:
"We just have never seen him [Rakhmonov] fight a grappler in the UFC, at least not a high-level one, so I guess I more just want to see that. You know, there's so much hype behind him right now that I want to see if that's founded. He's undefeated, but let's see him against a good wrestler because there are so many of those at 170 [pounds]. Let's see him against Sean Brady, or let's see him against [Kamaru] Usman before just giving him the shot at the belt."
Check out Chase Hooper's comments below (9:10):
'Nomad' was originally slated to challenge reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310. However, the title bout was called off after 'Remember the Name' was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection.
Following his victory over Garry, Rakhmonov has once again been lined up for a showdown with Muhammad, with the fight expected to take place in early 2025.
Belal Muhammad evaluates Shavkat Rakhmonov's UFC 310 performance against Ian Machado Garry
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Belal Muhammad offered insights into how he envisions a potential title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov unfolding.
Muhammad, who watched Rakhmonov’s performance against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 from cage side, confidently declared that he is now more certain than ever about his chances against 'Nomad':
"Before this fight even happened, I thought I was going to dominate him [Rakhmonov], so now I got an extra 25 minutes to break him down even more, and I came to the same conclusion. I'm going to dominate him. I'm better than both of these guys, I'm better than everybody in the division, and next time you see me in the cage, you guys are going to realize it.''
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (1:44):