28-year-old Shavkat Rakhmonov and his rise in the MMA world has clearly been nothing short of spectacular. Although still considered underrated by many, the Kazakh fighter has definitely experienced much more coverage this last week. However, this also has given him a much-needed publicity boost. His undefeated record of 16-0, with all wins coming with a finish, has also just played into the hype of Rakhmonov. But despite an impeccable record, an unearthed video of one of his fights from 2018, has shown fans how close the top 10 welterweight was close to getting a loss on his record sheet.

The fight which took place in Astana, Kazakhstan must have certainly given Rakhmonov‘s fans a scare, which surprisingly came against one of former UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s champs from his promotion Eagle FC.

Shavkat Rakhmonov almost gets finished against Faridun Odilov

Although the UFC welterweight did go on to win the fight in the third round, the last minute of the second round saw him get dropped from a looping overhand right that his opponent Faridun Odilov set up. ‘Terminator’ clearly came out with bad intentions as he consistently threw haymakers; trying to knock out Rakhmonov as early as possible. Despite managing to defend himself till that point, ‘Nomad’ ended up eating the overhand and got dropped.

Although Rakhmonov was clearly hurt during the exchange, his defense from the bottom helped him survive to the end of the round. He stayed active and minimized damage with wrist control by extending his arm and creating some distance.

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Ultimately, his resilience paid off as he went on to finish Odilov in the next round via ground and pound.

Rakhmonov is set to make a huge statement against Geoff Neil at UFC 285

Despite a close call against Odilov, ‘Nomad’ certainly has come a long way into his MMA career. Following that fight, he has bagged seven more consecutive wins, with four of them coming into the UFC. And as more eyes start to follow the Kazakh star; there is no doubt that Rakhmonov will be aiming to make a statement in front of the T-Mobile crowd this weekend.

Rising UFC Star Shavkat Rakhmonov Says He Can Beat Khamzat Chimaev, Kamaru Usman and Even Mike Tyson but Changes Tone for Francis Ngannou

A win against Geoff Neil, another legitimate opponent, has the potential to push ‘Nomad’ towards a bigger fight, and a possible chance at UFC gold in the future. Since the fight is taking place under a card headlined by a returning Jon Jones, there is no denying that this is the biggest platform that the 28-year-old has ever been given in his entire career.

How do you think Rakhmonov’s fight against Geoff Neil will play out? Is there a possibility of him getting hurt like in his earlier fight? Let us know in the comment section below.

Watch This Story: Everything You Need To Know About Shavkat Rakhmonov Ahead of UFC 285