"The new Khabib" - Fans react as Shavkat Rakhmonov becomes first to submit Stephen Thompson in the 18th finish of his MMA career 

Stephen Thompson vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov just wrapped up at UFC 296. The bout was pivotal for both men, as 'Wonderboy' represented the Kazakh phenom's highest-profile opponent. After a slow first round, Rakhmonov dominated round two before scoring a submission to the astonishment of fans and fighters online.

The bout followed a slow, methodical pace, with Rakhmonov aggressively pursuing takedowns and Thompson defending. While 'Wonderboy' escaped the first round, the second round was different, as the unbeaten Kazakh finally scored a takedown halfway through the round.

Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov's submission over Stephen Thompson in the clip below:

'Nomad' compromised his foe's defensive grappling by pinning one of Thompson's arms behind his back, which enabled him to transition into a modified arm-triangle choke. Thompson, however, managed to escape the submission, only to fall victim to a rear-naked choke with just 10 seconds left in round two.

Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling referenced the nature of Rakhmonov's finish, with one comment mentioning how little time was left in round two prior to the finish:

"Buzzer beater finish for Shavkat. Was pulling for my man, Wonderboy but Shavkat fought smart and did what he needed to do to win #UFC296"

One fan praised the unbeaten Kazakh's grappling by comparing him to the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov:

"Shavkat the new Khabib??"

Another fan even predicted a championship win for Rakhmonov next year:

"He'll win the belt in 2024 lol"

Others noted Rakhmonov's perfect record and run of form:

"He is a menace to that division. 18 wins and 18 finishes."

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Shavkat Rakhmonov's win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 296

Not only did the win maintain Shavkat Rakhmonov's 100% finishing rate, but in submitting Thompson, he became the first man to ever submit 'Wonderboy,' a feat that even Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Gilbert Burns and grappler extraordinaire Belal Muhammad could not achieve.

The Kazakh phenom, who is now a perfect 18-0, punctuated his win with a post-fight interview where he called for a welterweight title shot against the winner of the Colby Covington vs. Leon Edwards bout.