Who can beat Islam Makhachev? Carlos Prates? Michael Morales? Kamaru Usman? Ian Garry? Belal Muhammad? Former two-time title challenger, Jorge Masvidal, believes that none of these men are up to the job, but one man is…Shavkat Rakhmonov.
After his dominant performance at UFC 322, Islam Makhachev is now the hunted at 170lbs and he’s not short of contenders who are all putting their names in the hat to meet the Dagestan native in his first title defence. The P4P #1 is without a doubt a scary prospect for any foe, with his dominant wrestling style and ability on the feet, he’s a tough puzzle to work out.
Masvidal believes that Shavkat Rakhmonov has the skills to do it.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Can Beat Islam Makhachev
Speaking on the Death Row MMA podcast, Masvidal discussed who he thinks might be next for the champion.
“If it’s Carlos, I’m happy. If it’s Morales, I’m happy. But we also gotta add the monster at that weight class, the boogeyman, Shavkat. Shavkat is amazing. And that’s the only guy I think that can beat Islam… He’s naturally bigger, great wrestler, has endless gas, and he’s not bad on the feet. He does eat some shots to give some shots, but he’s not bad on the feet”
And he’s got a good point. Shavkat Rakhmonov is the most well-rounded guy in the division. Undefeated at 19-0, he’s notched eight TKO/KO victories and 10 submission victories, only going the distance once. He’s finished the likes of Geoff Neal, Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny as well as proving himself over the five round distance last time out against Ian Garry.
The worrying thing for opponents of Nomad is that he doesn’t seem to have a hole in his game. There are questions surrounding how his body would hold up through a championship camp, however. He’s suffered badly with injuries throughout his short UFC tenure. He’s been inactive for 12 months following his victory over Garry due to a number of different injuries. He is set to return in 2026, however, so let’s hope that he can get back to full fitness and be matched with Makhachev sooner rather than later.
