Shavkat Rakhmonov can’t wrap his head around Kamaru Usman’s recent request for a title shot.
With Belal Muhammad’s dominant performance against Leon Edwards in Manchester, the door opened for a heap of welterweight contenders who had previously been shut out. That includes Kamaru Usman who lost back-to-back bouts against ‘Rocky’ leaving him on the outside looking in at the top of the division. With Muhammad now at the helm, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ hopes he can slide right back into title contention and potentially reclaim the crown he lost a couple of years ago.
Rakhmonov can’t understand why the UFC would even entertain the idea of giving Usman an opportunity over himself.
Sporting a perfect 18-0 record with a 100% finish rate and wins over division mainstays like Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thomspon, Rakhmonov seems like a no-brainer when it comes to booking Muhammad’s first title defense.
Recently Rakhmonov offered his reaction to Usman’s pleas for a title opportunity, calling it a “shame’ to see a fighter who hasn’t won in nearly three years trying to skip the line and get ahead of more deserving contenders.
“Yeah, I don’t know what [Usman] is thinking about, like, I think it’s kind of shame to ask for a title shot after losing three fights straight,” Rakhmonov told Submission Radio. “Like, in my head, I cannot get my head around it. But, yeah, it is what it is.”
Shavkat Rakhmonov says that the UFC wants him to fight for the title next against Belal Muhammad. 🏆
"The UFC thinks that I'm the No. 1 contender and I should be next because there’s no clear contender anyway. I’ve got 100% finishes in all my UFC wins, so I rightfully should be… pic.twitter.com/QX7HCmo1Zp
— MMA.PROS.PICK (@MMAPROSPICK) August 27, 2024
Obviously, ‘Noman’ believes he’s the next man in line for a shot at welterweight gold. One look at his resume and it becomes clear why, but Rakhmonov also believes there are other names out there besides his that deserve more consideration than Usman. Namely, Jack Della Maddalena and Ian Machado Garry.
“There’s few good guys in the division who are very close to title shot,” he added. “I can say that Jack Della Maddalena and Ian Garry. And maybe they should fight each other and the winner should be next for the title after me.”
Shavkat Rakhmonov Tells Belal Muhammad There Will Be ‘Nowhere to Run’ Once the Cage Door Closes
“All I can say to Belal is to get ready,” Rakhmonov said. “You know, there’s nowhere to run. This fight has to happen next and the cage will close and we will see who is the better man. That’s it.”
