Shavkat Rakhmonov is nigh unstoppable. After all, the undefeated welterweight phenom has vanquished and finished every opponent ever put in front of him in the octagon. But, one cannot understand Rakhmonov the fighter or the man without taking a look at his background.

After all, ‘Nomad’ was born and grew up in the steppes of Central Asia, known for its tough men and unique, outdoorsy tribal culture. Fighting was encouraged among kids to toughen them up in the region and Rakhmonov was no exception. This is why in this article, we take a look at the UFC superstar’s tribal, national, and religious background.

Is Shavkat Rakhmonov Uzbeki or Kazakh? All about his tribe

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a Kazakh and is from the Altanbai clan of the Alimuly tribe, which populates the western, junior zhuz part of the country. There is some confusion about his nationality because of where he was born. ‘Nomad’, after all, was born in the Southern city of Sho’rchi in Uzbekistan, which is right next to Kazakhstan.

However, since Uzbekistan does not have birthright citizenship, the UFC star was never actually a Uzbek citizen. Indeed, Rakhmonov grew up and studied in Uzbekistan, and even has an atypical Arabic name, unlike most Kazakhs. However, Rakhmonov, of course, is a Kazakh, and quite a proud one at that.

“When I was young, it irritated me [people calling me Uzbek or Tajik], but then I realized that it was a useless argument. The most important thing is that you know your parents and your history in your heart. My nationality is Kazakh. My dad is Kazakh, my mom is Konyrat. I am Kazakh. Yes, I was born in Uzbekistan, and my name is such — Kazakhs have few like it, Arabic… I am glad that I was born in Uzbekistan, and studied there — I love my homeland. I am proud that I was born in Uzbekistan and am Kazakh by nationality. Although, of course, people will always raise this issue, but it’s okay — I have a normal attitude to it,” Rakhmonov would tell ‘Sports.kz’ in an interview. Now let us take a look at the Kazakh superstar’s faith.

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Is Shavkat Rakhmonov a Muslim?

Yes, Shavkat Rakhmonov is indeed Muslim, as his name suggests. Indeed, his homeland is a Muslim-majority country, with nearly seventy percent of its citizens practicing Islam. In fact, ‘Nomad’ went to Medina for ‘Umrah’ (Muslim pilgrimage) two years ago along with his mother, and proudly shared pictures of him and his mother near the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram mosque.“Paradise is under the feet of our mothers! 🕋 May our mothers be safe!!” Rakhmonov wrote.

While Rakhmonov has not spoken much about his faith in public, he does seem to be a practicing Muslim. Of course, his cultural practices are also heavily informed by Kazakh culture, but there is no doubt that he takes great pride in his Mulsim faith, too.

With his upcoming title eliminator co-main event at UFC 310 against Ian Garry, the undefeated Kazakh will look to get one inch closer to championship glory. What do think about Shavkat Rakhmonov’s ethnic and religious background?