Las Vegas, NV — For the past year, there has been plenty of talk about Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Brady as the new breed of the welterweight division, and rightfully so. But Shavkat Rakhmonov has been lurking in the background, destroying his opponents.
He thinks it’s time he gets more attention.
“I believe I deserve more attention. God willing, I’m the future UFC champion. Time will show it,” Rakhmonov (15-0) told media outlets including Cageside Press during his UFC Vegas 57 media day appearance on Wednesday.
With the amount of attention Chimaev garnered, it makes sense why the Kazakh fighter believes he deserves more of the spotlight. Rakmonov has finished his three opponents in the UFC to keep his 100% rate, and in those wins, he was the only fighter to finish Michel Prazeres, and he snapped Carlston Harris’s win streak.
Rakhmonov is good, and while the hardcore fans know it, the casual fan might just jump on board after UFC Vegas 57. The 27-year-old faces his toughest opponent yet, No. 10 ranked Neil Magny. Rakhmonov sees it as a favorable match-up, and he intends to test his opponent.
“He’s a good opponent, a good test for me. I’m ready to show I’m better than him, and I’m ready to show that I’m better than anyone in the division,” Rakhmonov said. “I want to dominate him. It also depends on his approach. I’m going to test his skills, so we’ll see, we’ll find out who’s the better man.”
After his last win, the undefeated fighter called out Magny, and the UFC veteran accepted a few weeks later. A win over Magny will truly announce Rakhmonov’s arrival as a contender in the 170lb division.
Watch the rest of Shavkat Rakhmonov’s UFC Vegas 57 media day scrum above. The event takes place this Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
