Who is UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov? Understanding the Kazakh sensation’s rise and newfound appeal 

Shavkat Rakhmonov is Kazakhstan's undefeated prospect in the UFC welterweight division. 'Nomad' joined the premier MMA organization in 2020 and, in just four fights, has broken into the UFC welterweight's top 10 rankings. He is currently ranked No.10 in the UFC welterweight division.

Rakhmonov's name rings a bell because, along with being undefeated, all of his wins have come by way of finishes. In 16 professional bouts, Rakhmonov has eight wins by knockout and eight wins by submission.

Shavkat Rakhmonov is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC's modern era.

The rise of Shavkat Rakhmonov:

Shavkat Rakhmonov joined the UFC as a 12-0 surging prospect in 2020, and was matched up against Alex Oliveira at UFC 254. 'Cowboy' missed weight by three pounds so the fight was deemed a catchweight bout.

Regardless, 'Nomad' made quick work of Oliveira, overwhelming the Brazilian who then forced a clinch exchange where he attempted a takedown. Rakhmonov synched up a tight guillotine and pulled guard, forcing Oliveira to tap out in the first round.

In his second promotional fight, Rakhmonov faced Michel Prazeres at UFC Fight Night 190, where he found a second-round submission via rear-naked choke. Shavkat Rakhmonov found a spectacular first-round KO victory against Carlston Harris at UFC Fight Night 200, via spinning hook kicks and punches.

The win over Carlston Harris earned Rakhmonov a fight against Neil Magny, who was then among the UFC's top 10 welterweights, at UFC Vegas 57. 'Nomad' used his superior grappling to dominate 'The Haitian Sensation' on the ground, before finding a guillotine choke finish at 4:58 minutes of the second round.

Rakhmonov will face Geoff Neal at UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada in March.

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Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Who would win a potential match-up between 'Borz' and 'Nomad'?

Shavkat Rakhmonov made his UFC debut the same year as Chechen-born Swede Khamzat Chimaev. Although Khamzat Chimaev has more UFC fights than the Uzbek-born Rakhmonov, 'Nomad' has more career fights than 'Borz'.

Rakhmonov and Chimaev are the same age, born in 1994, and seem evenly matched in terms of their respective skill-sets. Some in the MMA community have joked that Rakhmonov is Khamzat Chimaev's 'non-evil twin'. If 'Borz' decides to remain in the welterweight division, he could potentially face the Kazakh fighter at some point.

The above assumption is being made considering Rakhmonov successfully climbs the rankings and enters the welterweight division's top five. That being said, how would a potential bout between Chimaev and Rakhmonov go down?

We know that a trigger-happy Chimaev can gas himself out, particularly at welterweight where he has trouble cutting to the 170-pound limit. This observation was made clear when he struggled to put Gilbert Burns away at UFC 273, who managed to drop 'Borz' on more than one occasion.

Nomad seems like a more composed fighter when compared to 'Borz'. If he can weather an early storm, he can lay waste to Chimaev's undefeated record.