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Following Jack Della Maddalena's bold callout to Shavkat Rakhmonov after his impressive win at UFC 299, Rakhmonov's manager has shed light on the possibility of the two fighters meeting inside the octagon.
Della Maddalena's victory over Gilbert Burns elevated his status in the welterweight division, prompting him to target a matchup with the undefeated Rakhmonov.
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In response, Rakhmonov acknowledged Della Maddalena's confidence and posted:
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"I respect your courage and confidence Jack, but you will face the same fate as my previous opponents"
Now, Rakhmonov's manager has provided insight into their next steps, indicating that a showdown with Della Maddalena could be on the horizon, especially if other top contenders like Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman are unavailable. He stated:
"Logically speaking, the fight against Maddalena is one of our next steps. Because if Colby and Usman refuse to fight Shavkat, we're left with only Maddalena.
However, the manager also hinted at the possibility of waiting for the outcome of a fight between Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards before making a decision:
Another option is related to the fight between Belal and Leon. If they are going to fight soon, Shavkat doesn't plan to fight anytime soon either. We will consider a title fight right away. We have such an option."
Check out the post below:
Shavkat Rakhmonov's undefeated reign in the UFC
Shavkat Rakhmonov has carved a dominant path through the UFC welterweight division. The Kazakhstani fighter boasts an undefeated record of 18-0, 8 by KO and 10 by submission.
Rakhmonov's path to the UFC was initially met with setbacks. Scheduled fights in 2020 against Bartosz Fabiński and Ramazan Emeev fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic and injury, respectively.
His official debut finally came at UFC 254 in October 2020, where he submitted Alex Oliveira via guillotine choke in the first round. This marked the beginning of a dominant run.
Rakhmonov continued his impressive streak with victories over Michel Prazeres, Carlston Harris, and Neil Magny, all via submission. These wins solidified his grappling prowess and earned him two 'Performance of the Night' bonuses.
In 2023, he faced a tougher challenge against Geoff Neal at UFC 285. Despite Neal exceeding the welterweight limit, Rakhmonov emerged victorious with a third-round submission, his first career 'Fight of the Night' award.
Rakhmonov was scheduled to fight Kelvin Gastelum later that year but the bout was canceled due to Gastelum's injury. He then faced the legendary striker Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December 2023.
In a historic moment, Rakhmonov submitted Thompson via rear-naked choke with seconds left in the second round, becoming the first fighter to ever finish Thompson by submission.
Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov's submission win over Stephen Thomspon below:
Currently ranked No. 3 in the welterweight division, Rakhmonov remains undefeated and is a rising star with his sights set on the championship title.
