Shavkat Rakhmonov and Stephen Thompson will lock horns in an epic welterweight showdown at UFC 296 this weekend.
The clash will see one of the hottest prospects in MMA taking on a bonafide veteran, with ‘Nomad’ currently sitting at a -500 favorite. Rakhmonov holds a record of 17-0, with all his wins coming via finishes, and he is 5-0 inside the octagon.
But the striking skillset of Stephen Thompson means that he is an ever-present danger on the feet, and has dismantled touted prospects in the past, such as Vicente Luque at UFC 244.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski recently broke down the clash between Shavkat Rakhmonov and ‘Wonderboy’. He shared a detailed analysis of the matchup and believes that Rakhmonov’s style may get him into trouble against Thompson.
Volkanovski said this:
“You’ve gotta remember that movement, you’ve gotta remember that distance management, the defense that [Thompson] has. He is pretty incredible there. We know [Shavkat Rakhmonov] likes to walk forward, he likes to press forward, he puts himself in danger.”
He continued:
“[Shavkat] is durable, he’s tough and he’s got a lot of skill… I’m always happy to bet on Stephen Thompson, ’cause I know he can be an awkward matchup for anybody… Even to take [Thompson] down, it’s not easy to just grab a hold of him. I’m leaning towards Stephen Thompson on this one, people are gonna think I’m mad.”
Watch the video below from 1:05:
Stephen Thompson believes a win over Shavkat Rakhmonov puts him in title contention
Stephen Thompson has competed for the welterweight title twice, both against Tyron Woodley, at UFC 205 and UFC 209. But ‘Wonderboy’ believes a win over touted prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov puts him in a position to once again compete for UFC gold.
The pair will clash in a featured bout of a stacked UFC 296 main card this weekend, which could be a potential Fight of the Night contender.
‘Nomad’ has shown a wide variety of skills inside the cage, boasting 8 knockout and 9 submission wins on his record, and should provide ‘Wonderboy’ with a stiff test at UFC 296.
But Stephen Thompson recently attributed his +475 underdog status to his age, and nothing more, during the pre-fight press conference. He was asked if a win over Shavkat Rakhmonov would put him in title contention, and ‘Wonderboy’ said this:
“I think so. I really do. Everybody’s looking at my age, I think that’s why I’m such an underdog… I feel like if I go out there and win this, I’m either getting the No.1 or the next title shot.”
Watch the video below from 0:55: