Shavkat Rakhmonov is somewhat of an enigma in the UFC, with his mild-mannered demeanor and exceptional fighting skills. His arrival to the UFC came with his proud representation of his home country of Kazakhstan; a nation in Central Asia known for its music, rich history, and warrior culture. The Kazakh phenom wears the ‘Malakhai’, a traditional headgear made from wolf fur, in his walk to the Octagon, and his post-fight speeches.

With a record of 18 finishes is 18 professional fights, Rakhmonov is someone who athletes in the welterweight division are wary of facing off against. While initially booked against Belal Muhammad for UFC 310, he will now face off against the Irishman Ian Garry after the divisional champion pulled out of the card due to a nasty bone infection. Ahead of his much-anticipated clash against ‘The Future’, let’s take a closer look at the Kazakh fighter’s nickname, which invokes the warrior spirit of the Central Asian caucuses.

What is the meaning behind Shavkat Rakhmonov’s nickname ‘Nomad’?

While many hail Shavkat Rakhmonov as the first Kazakh fighter in the UFC, it’s actually Damir Ismagulov who is the first Kazakh-origin fighter in the promotion. However, Ismagulov resides in Orenburg, Oblast, Russia. Shavkat Rakhmonov, although born in Uzbekistan, is the first true representative of Kazakhstan signed to the UFC. The #3-ranked welterweight proudly carries his heritage and has put the nation of Kazakhstan on the radar of MMA fans.

His nickname ‘Nomad’ can be attributed to the history of his people being pastoral nomads. According to the Kazakh warrior, it was the common folks who gave him his nickname. While having a candid conversation with the NY Post, Rakhmonov emphasized, “Early in my career, I was participating in the promotion called Battle of Normals. At the time, I didn’t have a nickname, and people were telling me that I should have a nickname.”

He further added, “So, they gave me the nickname ‘Nomad’. And I believe this nickname suits me because, historically, Kazakhs were nomads, and I changed a lot of places where I lived. So I believe it’s a very suitable nickname for me, the ‘Nomad’.” This nickname is apt because the Kazakh fighter took his brand of violence across nations like Russia, South Korea, his home country of Kazakhstan, and now the USA. In that’s vein, now that we know about his nickname, let us have a look at other interesting facts about the undefeated warrior.

More interesting facts about Shavkat Rakhmonov

Oozing to become a champion within the division, Shavkat Rakhmonov was supposed to clash against Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 but a sudden surgery halted the champion’s first title defense, with Ian Garry stepping in to fill the gap. Well, ahead of the clash between two undefeated fighters, let us have a look at the lesser-explored side of ‘Nomad’. Do you remember Alistair Overeem’s quote about eating horse meat? “I like beef, beef makes you strong. So, cow beef, horse beef, fish…. So yeah.” Well, it appears that he is not the only MMA fighter who has a knack for horse meat. Shavkat Rakhmonov has openly confessed that his favorite animal and favourite meat is horse. Quite shocking?

Well, that’s not all as ‘Nomad’ is full of surprises. The undefeated Rakhmonov made his professional MMA debut when he was just 19. He submitted Adam Tsurov with a first-round triangle choke at M-1 Challenge 52 on October 27th, 2014. The fighter is one of the only six men to ever grab the M-1 Global welterweight championship. Furthermore, his teammates at Kill Cliff FC are as tough as him; Michael Chandler, Darrion Caldwell, and Aung La Nsang to Derek Brunson, Gilbert Burns, and Robbie Lawler. Interestingly, he was also teammates with his now opponent Ian Garry, when the latter was training at the famed Florida gym.

In his 18 professional MMA fights, Rakhmonov has fought across 6 countries, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United States, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan. This nearly equates to more than 37,000 miles of round-trip travel. Regardless, as the fighter is prepping up to face the biggest challenge of his career, who do you think would emerge victorious in the bout? State your thoughts in the comments below.