Shavkat Rakhmonov won’t say no to a title shot if he beats Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 and the UFC subsequently comes calling.
The undefeated welterweight with a 100 percent finish rate is set to take on the former two-time challenger in what seems to be his most challenging matchup yet. The Kazakh most recently competed at UFC 285, where he choked out Geoff Neal after two-and-a-half rounds of war, improving to 5-0 in the promotion.
In a recent interview with Morning Kombat, Rakhmonov discussed his upcoming UFC 296 fight, noting that he deserves to fight for the belt if he wins, although he acknowledged Belal Muhammad’s status as the division’s rightful number one contender.
“I don’t know [if I’ll get it],” Shavkat said. “It depends on what the UFC says. But I think that Belal Muhammad also deserves the title shot. As I know, he will back up this fight. But of course, I’m ready [for a title shot in future].”
Rakhmonov also gave his thoughts on the welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington in the UFC 296 headliner.
“I don’t know, they’re both good fighters.” Rakhmonov said. “I think the advantage is the champion. He’s a champion, not for no reason. We’ll see if Colby is the next ultimate [fighting champion].”
Belal Muhammad last fought Gilbert Burns at UFC 288, where he won by a comfortable decision. He’s committed to fighting only for a title and has stayed inactive since then.
Who do you think deserves the next UFC welterweight title shot, Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov?
