Shavkat Rakhmonov: The UFC Prospect Nobody is Talking About

Shavkat Rakhmonov: The UFC Prospect Nobody is Talking About

The UFC currently has a handful of top prospects that fans are drooling over. Khamzat Chimaev was the crown jewel of all UFC prospects for over a year, but he has shed the prospect label as he has proved to be an elite fighter. Sean O’Malley will have the chance to do the same when he fights Petr Yan at UFC 280. As a result, Bo Nickal has become the UFC’s newest elite prospect after showing he is legit on Dana White’s Contender Series. While all these fighters deserve their praise, everyone seems to forget about Shavkat Rakhmonov, a fighter with clear championship potential.

Rakhmonov Has Been Perfect This Far

Rakhmonov has had a perfect start to his MMA career as he is 16-0 with four UFC wins. In those four UFC bouts, Rakhmonov has finished Neil Magny, Carlston Harris, Michel Prazeres, and Alex Oliveira. You can learn a lot from UFC matchmaking. In Rakhmonov’s case, he fought Oliveira in his UFC debut. That shows you just how highly the UFC views him. The UFC would not let a bum fight Oliveira in his UFC debut. In addition, he got an early opportunity to fight a ranked opponent when he fought Magny. In that fight, Rakhmonov proved he is a threat in the welterweight division as he dominated Magny before submitting him. Thus far into his career, Rakhmonov has shown championship potential. At just 27 years old, he will have plenty of time to strengthen his already elite skills.

Rakhmonov is an Elite Grappler

Rakhmonov’s grappling base comes from his extensive experience in combat sambo. Per usual, this makes him an elite MMA grappler. His grappling is advanced and he excels in each facet of the skill. Most importantly, Rakhmonov has terrific submissions. His go-to submission is his fantastic guillotine choke which he has landed twice in the UFC. That is far from the only submission in his toolbox, but it is certainly his best. Rakhmonov’s grappling is supplemented by tremendous ground-and-pound. He uses his long frame to posture up and land damaging strikes. When needed Rakhmonov can control his opponent from the top position. As far as getting the fight to the ground goes, he has no trouble landing trips or throws in the clinch to get his opponent down. This combination of elite skills makes him a tough fighter to grapple with.

Rakhmonov Can Strike Too

Anytime a fighter is elite in a certain discipline it is important to know they are at least quality in other areas. Since Rakhmonov is an elite grappler, it is reasonable to question his striking prowess. With that being said, he passes that test. On the feet, Rakhmonov uses his length to his advantage as he manages range well. From a distance, he has a good jab and straight. On the inside, he throws a variety of punches while mixing in knees. Oh, he also throws quick spinning kicks. While his striking lags behind his grappling, he will not struggle in that area.

Rakhmonov Passes the Eye Test

The eye test in MMA is more important than most people are willing to admit. In a lot of cases, you can simply watch a fighter and tell if they are good or not, regardless of the skills they do or do not have. When you watch Rakhmonov he feels like an elite fighter. This is because Rakhmonov does all the little things right. Above all, his fight IQ is off the charts. I never question a decision Rakhmonov makes. This IQ is displayed in how he balances his grappling and striking. This ensures he is truly mixing martial arts and not just relying on his grappling. If he does decide to take the fight to the ground, he balances submissions, control, and ground-and-pound. He does each at the perfect time. This helps him control the fight and eventually find a finish. On top of that, he manages the pace of the fight which furthers his ability to stay in control.

The unfortunate side of this equation is that it has resulted in Rakhmonov being less popular. When it comes to marketing a UFC star, it is easier to promote a prospect like the aforementioned Chimaev, O’Malley, or Nickal. They are all more flashy and dominant in their victories. Rakhmonov feels more calculated and methodical. That is better for winning fights, but not for winning fans.

Rakhmonov Does Have Weaknesses

Rakhmonov does have some weaknesses. Up to this point, I have painted him as a perfect fighter. While that is accurate there are some things he could do better. First off, he gets hit a little too much on the feet. There are instances where his opponents have landed solid shots on Rakhmonov. He never gets hit a lot, rather, he will be hit quite hard at least once in a fight. Rakhmonov also spends a lot of time in clinch scenarios with his back on the cage. This is not a great way to win a fight as it does not look good to the judges. Rakhmonov does have good submissions and takedowns from that position, it just seems like he waits too long to use those skills. These may seem nit-picky. That just goes to show that Rakhmonov does not have many weaknesses.

To be clear, Chimaev, O’Malley, and Nickal are all great fighters and prospects. The point here is that Rakhmonov should be viewed in the same light as those terrific fighters. The reason for that is simple, he is that good and he has the potential to be a UFC champion.

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