Shavkat Rakhmonov’s response to Jack Della Maddalena calling him out caught the attention of fans on social media.
At UFC 299, Della Maddalena received a step-up in competition when he faced number-four-ranked Gilbert Burns. According to the official scorecards, the Aussie was less than two minutes away from suffering a unanimous decision loss before landing a devastating knee to secure a third-round knockout win.
Shortly after getting his hand raised, Della Maddalena joined Joe Rogan for his UFC 299 post-fight interview inside the Octagon. The 27-year-old utilized his microphone time by calling out the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov:
“There’s some scary people in this division, but I’m the f*cking scariest. Shavkat Rakhmonov, I think me and you could make a hell of a title eliminator. One of the best in the business, let’s go.”
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Rakhmonov responded to Della Maddalena’s callout by saying this on Twitter:
“I respect your courage and confidence Jack, but you will face the same fate as my previous opponents”
Fans took to the X comment section and shared their reactions, including many people praising Rakhmonov:
“Cold-blooded response”
“You’ll bully him 100% from start to finish”
“If this don’t scream Aura I don’t know what does.”
What are the other potential options for Shavkat Rakhmonov and Jack Della Maddalena’s next fights?
There’s no doubt that Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Jack Della Maddalena would be an action-packed matchup. With that said, Rakhmonov is closing in on a welterweight title shot, so the UFC could decide to go in a different direction for the 185-pound superstars.
When it comes to Della Maddalena, the Aussie’s striking-heavy fighting style gives him plenty of options for his next fight. Depending on his ranking update, the 27-year-old could be facing Ian Garry, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, or the winner of Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley
As for Rakhmonov, few top contenders are looking to challenge the undefeated Kazakhstani. ‘Nomad’ could find himself fighting for the welterweight title next or taking on one of the following contenders in a title shot eliminator bout: Kamaru Usman, Khamzat Chimaev, or Belal Muhammad.
Watch Della Maddalena's highlight-reel finish against Burns below: