UFC welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov has clearly been one of the breakout fighters of the promotion with his performances last year. Only 28 years old, the Kazakh-origin fighter has carved a reputation for himself as a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division during his short journey in the UFC. But while Rakhmonov has silently gone around getting his job done, another one of his counterparts has taken a very different approach in carving out a similar reputation for himself. Khamzat Chimaev, who has rag-dolled almost all his opponents on the way to the top, is clearly a name that Rakhmonov is very aware of. Many would even feel that the duo is set on a collision course and would eventually end up facing each other at one point.

In a recent interview, he talked about Chimaev, giving a bit more insight into what he thinks of the Chechen. While he did reveal his plans for fighting him in the future, Rakhmonov also felt that ‘Borz’ would eventually do good at middleweight if he ever decided to move up.

Shavkat Rakhmonov feels Khamzat Chimaev has a good future ahead at 185 lbs

While discussing the Swedish fighter and his weight issues, Rakhmonov expressed that it was up to Chimaev to make the decision on his weight class. He felt that if cutting weight was a struggle, ‘Borz’ should move up to 185.

“I really don’t know. You need to ask him that. It’s about what he wants to do. If he wanna fight at 170. If you want to get a title at 170 or if his weight is too big to cut to 170, then he’s gonna stay in 185. So it is really up to him,” stated Rakhmonov, who has secured four wins in the UFC as of now.

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Despite the rivalry, he clearly respects Chimaev’s abilities as a fighter. This was evident as he pointed out his potential at middleweight.

He explains: “I think at least he’s going to be top five in the middleweight division.”

Rakhmonov on a possible fight against Chimaev in the future

Since both are considered among the best prospects in the promotion, comparisons between the two have been quite consistent amongst analysts and fans. But for the debate on who’s the better fighter to be settled, both have to clash at one point in the future. And the 28-year-old clearly understands this as well. But considering that Chimaev might end up moving to 185 due to his weight issues, Rakhmonov states that is something he has accepted as a possibility.

When asked about his plans to fight Chimaev, he responded: “If we are meant to fight, we’re gonna fight, if not, it’s not big of a deal. But of course, I have my own sports interest to compete with him, but it’s not going to happen, it’s not a big deal.”

Despite the competitiveness of the sport which is also evidently inherent in both of these fighters, there is also a certain respect between them. Rakhmonov’s ambition of winning the title at welterweight surely clashes with that of Chimaev. But with talks of the swede moving up to middleweight, fans might just have to wait on the fight for some more time.

Unearthed Video of Khabib’s Father With Rising UFC Star Shavkat Rakhmonov Sends Fans Into Frenzy: “Incoming Welterweight Champ”

Rakhmonov is set to face Geoff Neal at UFC 285 in what could be a major fight for the 28-year-old. A win here could propel him into a possible contender fight with any of the top-ranked welterweights. Stay tuned.

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