Rakhmonov Wants The Khamzat Chimaev Treatment From Neil Magny
Rising UFC welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov is keen to return to the Octagon and has called on divisional veteran Neil Magny to transfer his ready-to-fight attitude from Khamzat Chimaev to him.
There are only a handful of fast-rising prospects being singled out as future champions in the UFC. While Chimaev is drawing most of the attention in that respect, a certain Kazakhstani phenom isn’t far behind.
Rakhmonov, who arrived in the UFC after building a 12-0 record and winning the M-1 welterweight title, has maintained his perfect professional slate in three appearances on MMA’s biggest stage.
Having displayed his submission prowess against Brazil’s Alex Oliveira and Michel Prazeres, Rakhmonov put his hands on full show in his most recent outing, brutally sleeping Carlston Harris at UFC Vegas 47.
Like Chimaev in 2021, Rakhmonov is looking to carry his 3-0 promotional record into a clash against a ranked opponent. While “Borz” challenged Li Jingliang, “Nomad” is targeting a top-10 contender who boasts a victory over “The Leech,” Magny.
Across the past year, the narrative that no welterweight wants to share the cage with Chimaev has been pushed by the Chechen-born Swede and Dana White. The undeniable exception to the claim, without even mentioning Vicente Luque, has been “The Haitian Sensation.”
While Rakhmonov has previously expressed his frustration at being compared to Chimaev, it seems the pursuing presence of Magny is one similarity he’s hoping for.
Responding to an interview clip on Twitter that showed Magny once again expressing a willingness to fight anyone, including Chimaev, Rakhmonov suggested he’s the new prospect nobody wants to face and invited the welterweight veteran to break that trend.
“Fight me @NeilMagny [Fist Emoji] No one want to fight me”
Immediately after his latest victory, Rakhmonov called out the entertaining Michel Pereira. With the Brazilian looking set to face Santiago Ponzinibbio in May, it seems he either turned Rakhmonov down or the UFC simply preferred a matchup with the Argentinian.
Magny Recently Tied GSP For UFC Welterweight Wins
Rakhmonov’s callout comes just days after Magny etched his name in the record books alongside one of the greatest of all time.
At UFC Columbus, Magny entered the Octagon with fellow veteran Max Griffin. Having defeated Geoff Neal last time out, the 34-year-old was looking to go back-to-back with a triumph against “Pain.”
He did just that, securing a split decision on the scorecards after three rounds of action. In recording his 19th welterweight victory in the UFC, Magny tied former champion Georges St-Pierre for the most in the division’s history.
If a bout against Rakhmonov comes to fruition, Magny would be looking to prove he’s still a step ahead of the up-and-comers. The Kazakhstani, meanwhile, would be targeting the addition of a UFC mainstay to his unblemished résumé.
@NeilMagny ties legend GSP for most wins in UFC welterweight history with 19#UFCColumbus live on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/wtOa2ffdU0
— UFC (@ufc) March 27, 2022
How do you think a fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Neil Magny would play out?
Continue Reading Rakhmonov Wants The Khamzat Chimaev Treatment From Neil Magny at MMA News.
Rakhmonov Wants The Khamzat Chimaev Treatment From Neil Magny