Tag: Shavkat Rakhmonov

Bryan Barberena calls for Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice at UFC Fight Night 217; gets response

Bryan Barberena is willing to answer the call and face Shavkat Rakhmonov on two weeks’ notice at UFC Fight Night 217.

After injury forced Geoff Neal out of his highly anticipated bout with [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 217, many believed it would be nearly impossible to find a replacement on just over two weeks’ notice.

There haven’t been many people pleading for the assignment against the undefeated rising contender, but [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] is one name who has put his hand up in hopes of having the matchup come to fruition.

There’s a catch to Barberena’s availability, however, and that’s his inability to make the welterweight limit, where the original fight with Neal was scheduled. Barberena (18-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) said he can be ready to go, he just needs a 10-pound buffer and proposed the contest with Rakhmonov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) happen at a 180-pound catchweight (via Twitter):

Neal out. We were supposed to fight before on short notice. No one wants to fight you. Fuck it make it at 180 and I’ll see you there! 👊🏽💥

Barberena, 33, is coming off a submission loss to former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 42 this month. The result snapped his three-fight winning streak, which included a TKO of Robbie Lawler and decisions over Matt Brown and Darian Weeks.

Rakhmonov, 28, for his part, has finished all four of his octagon opponents thus far, including notables Neil Magny and Alex Oliveira. He caught win of Barberena’s offer, and expressed his interest in booking the matchup (via Twitter):

Why not, let’s do it for the fans 👊🏼

The response came to Barberena’s excitement, and he encouraged the UFC brass to finalize the matchup (via Twitter):

Mad respect ✊🏽 let’s Fucken go! @ufc @seanshelby @danawhite let’s make this official send the contract and let’s get it done.

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Geoff Neal injured, out of UFC Fight Night 217 matchup against Shavkat Rakhmonov

The first UFC event of 2023 has taken a big hit as Geoff Neal has been forced out of his bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

The first UFC event of 2023 has taken a major hit.

Due to an undisclosed injury, [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has been forced out of his UFC Fight Night 217 welterweight co-main event bout against [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on Jan. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It is unknown if Rakhmonov will remain on the card.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the news to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Reporter Igor Lazorin was first to report the news.

Rakhmonov took to Twitter to react to the news.

“Apparently @handzofsteelmma is all talk”

Neal, meanwhile, wrote on Facebook that “nobody’s scared” and he’s looking to reschedule the fight.

Rakhmonov, 28, has finished all his professional wins – eight by knockout and eight by submission. The unbeaten rising star is coming off a submission over Neil Magny in June which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Neal has also built some momentum in the welterweight division. “Handz of Steel” scored back-to-back wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio, and a third-round knockout of Vicente Luque in August.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 217 lineup now includes:

  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. TBA
  • Roman Kopylov vs. Punahele Soriano
  • Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. Allan Nascimento
  • Jimmy Flick vs. Charles Johnson
  • Raquel Pennington vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Daniel Argueta vs. Isaac Dulgarian
  • Nick Fiore vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Claudio Ribeiro
  • Javid Basharat vs. Mateus Mendonca

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UFC Fight Night 217 odds: Shavkat Rakhmonov a heavy favorite over Geoff Neal

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a highly touted contender in the UFC’s welterweight division, and the odds back it up.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] is a highly touted contender and the odds back it up.

Rakhamonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 217 co-main event, which takes place Jan. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

At DraftKings, Rakhmonov is a big -460 favorite, meaning a $460 bet would be needed on “Nomad” to return $100. Neal is a +370 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Fortis MMA fighter would result in $370 profit with a win.

Rakhmonov’s hype comes for a reason. The unbeaten 28-year-old has finished all his professional wins – eight by knockout and eight by submission. In Rakhmonov’s most recent octagon appearance in June, he submitted Neil Magny to earn a Performance of the Night bonus.

But Neal also has made waves in the welterweight division. “Handz of Steel” is coming off back-to-back wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio and a third-round knockout of Vicente Luque in August.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Neal acknowledged Rakhmonov’s well-rounded skills, but doesn’t expect to face any issues against him.

“I really feel he’s just good everywhere,” Neal said. “I haven’t seen anything that’s spectacular that he does. Just as long as my cardio is there and I’m focused mentally, I think I’ll take the win – easy.”

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Geoff Neal: Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov will be an ‘easy’ win at UFC Fight Night 217

Geoff Neal thinks he has the ability to run through highly touted, undefeated welterweight rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] thinks he has the ability to run through highly touted, undefeated welterweight rising star [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 217.

After handing Vicente Luque his first knockout loss in his most recent outing, Neal (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was looking to secure a matchup with a top-three fighter in the division. His desired showdown with Gilbert Burns didn’t materialize, and all the while Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was calling Neal’s name.

Neal obliged to the request, and despite the hype around Rakhmonov, “Handz of Steel” is supremely confident going into the Jan. 14 clash, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

“I really feel he’s just good everywhere,” Neal told MMA Junkie. “I haven’t seen anything that’s spectacular that he does. Just as long as my cardio is there and I’m focused mentally, I think I’ll take the win. Easy.”

Despite having just four fights in the UFC, Rakhmonov has garnered much attention in rapid fashion. He’s finished all of his fights with the organization, including a second-round submission of Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 38 in June. There’s much excitement around his potential, and the UFC clearly agrees as Rakhmonov already has been added to the “EA UFC 4” video game.

Neal, meanwhile, made his UFC debut in February 2018, and despite being on the roster for nearly five years, he’s nowhere to be found in the game.

“At this point don’t even put me in the damn game,” Neal said. “I’m good. You’re going to put Shavkat in there before me? It is what it is. I guess it has something to do with your popularity. I don’t even want to be in the game now. I’m good. Super disrespectful. Don’t put me in the game now. Once I have the belt around my waist, don’t put me in the game. Just leave me out.”

Ultimately, Neal will be ready to put his frustrations aside and take action inside the octagon. His past two wins over Luque and Santiago Ponzinibbio have been among his more notable, but Neal also holds victories over the likes of Belal Muhammad and Mike Perry.

Neal thinks he’s done the work to be viewed as a legitimate contender, and he intends to put himself in the title conversation with a statement performance against Rakhmonov.

“I really feel like if I get through this fight and take him out in the first round, I rally feel like I’ll be in title contention or have a contender fight or something,” Neal said. “I really feel like I deserve it at this point. I’m taking out the guys – I’ve taken out somebody no one else wants to fight – so I feel like I would deserve a title shot after that.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 3-9)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Oct. 3-9.

UFC targets Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov for first event of 2023

Geoff Neal proves to be a man of his word as he steps up to the plate against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

A top welterweight contender fight is nearing finalization for the first UFC card of 2023.

Contenders [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] and [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] have agreed to a three-round welterweight fight Jan. 14 at a location and venue to be announced, but likely to be the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Contracts are not yet signed, but are expected to be issued and inked in the coming days.

Two people with knowledge of the targeted booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN first reported the news.

The matchup comes days after Neal (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) exchanged tweets. Rakhmonov initially accused Neal of avoiding the matchup. Neal then responded he and his team reached out to the UFC to specifically ask for the matchup.

Neal, 32, rides a two-fight winning streak into the matchup. In August, he largely dominated Vicente Luque en route to a third-round TKO victory. Other key UFC victories include Belal Muhammad, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Niko Price and Mike Perry.

Rakhmonov, 27, widely is regarded as one of the welterweight division’s top rising talents. As a result, he and his team have expressed frustration with finding opponents. Rakhmonov has four finishes in as many UFC appearances. The most recent was a submission of perennial contender Neil Magny in June.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Jan. 14 includes:

  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Jimmy Flick vs. Jeff Molina
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. Allan Nascimento

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UFC’s Stephen Thompson explains why Shavkat Rakhmonov fight doesn’t interest him

Stephen Thompson wants to fight someone who will stand and trade with him.

The idea of fighting [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] doesn’t excite [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag].

Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC), a former two-time welterweight title challenger, says the UFC mentioned undefeated finisher Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) as a potential next opponent, but he doesn’t like it.

“Wonderboy” is not one to turn down fights, but after losing two straight lopsided decisions to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad in heavy grappling affairs, Thompson wants to face someone who will stand and trade with him.

“The UFC was talking about maybe Shavkat; he just beat Neil Magny,” Thompson told BJPenn.com. “I was like, ‘UFC, give me somebody that’s going to want to strike with me.’ I haven’t turned down the last two guys who are grapplers. One of the top grapplers in the welterweight division, didn’t turn him down. I was like, ‘Give me a striker.’ We were looking at Li Jingliang, but I know he’s got a fight coming up. Kevin Holland, we didn’t end up making that one. I wanted the Madison Square Garden card, but I think he wanted to fight a little sooner.”

He continued, “It doesn’t make sense for me to face another heavy grappler. Let me work on my craft a little bit more, especially when it comes to wrestling. They were pushing it, but it just doesn’t make sense. The fans don’t want to see it either. The fans were like, ‘Dude, just give Stephen a striker, somebody that’s going to strike with him.’ It is what it is. That’s just not a fight that interests me at this point.”

Thompson hasn’t competed since December. Prior to his setbacks against Burns and Muhammad, “Wonderboy” earned bonuses in decision wins over knockout artists Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. He’s currently dealing with a nagging collarbone injury and thinks Michel Pereira is the perfect comeback opponent for him.

“So I’m looking at Michel Pereira,” Thompson said. “I think that would be an awesome fight. He’s up and coming, definitely down to bang it out and strike. I think he called me out, too, on social media, so that would be a good fight for sure.”

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Shavkat Rakhmonov: Colby Covington ‘crosses the limit’ with trash talk, but he’s ‘actually a very good fighter’

UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov respects Colby Covington as a fighter.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] respects [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] as a fighter.

Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) never minces his words when it comes to his opposition or any fighter on the roster, but the former UFC welterweight interim champion’s only two losses in the past six years have come to UFC welterweight champ and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman.

Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) acknowledges Covington’s skills and thinks his brash nature causes him to be under-appreciated as a fighter.

“This guy does a lot of trash talking, and sometimes he crosses the limit with that,” Rakhmonov said in an interview with James Lynch. “But he’s actually a very good fighter, and a lot of people underestimate him. But he’s a very, very tough fighter, good spirit, and he showed that in the last two fights with Usman.”

Covington’s mouth got him in trouble in his past outing against Jorge Masvidal. Covington dominated his former best friend in a lopsided decision win at UFC 272 in March, but their rivalry didn’t end there.

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Masvidal couldn’t let go of Covington’s pre-fight trash talk, causing him to allegedly attack Covington outside of a restaurant in Miami just weeks after their fight. Masvidal was arrested and faces a pair of charges, including one count of aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm and one count of criminal mischief.

Rakhmonov, an undefeated rising welterweight, could find himself fighting the likes of Covington in the near future after breaking into the top 10 rankings with a submission win over Neil Magny this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 38. “Nomad” has finished all his professional wins.

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UFC on ESPN 38 bonuses: Five total fighters earn extra $50,000

Check out who all earned a bonus for their performance at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – After a fun slate of 12 fights, the UFC once again strayed away from the norm and issued bonuses to a total of five fighters.

The main event of UFC on ESPN 38 was a hard-fought 25-minute battle between Mateusz Gamrot and Arman Tsarukyan. Both lightweight contenders competed in the first main event of their UFC careers, and their performances showed as they both wanted to make a statement. It was a high-paced, all-action bout that pushed the limits of both fighters. When it was all said and done, Gamrot earned the unanimous decision nod from the judges. For their efforts though, both men take home an extra paycheck for the Fight of the Night.

The promotion issued three Performance of the Night bonuses in addition to the FOTN. Check out who all earned the $50,000 award below.

UFC on ESPN 38 results: Shavkat Rakhmonov secures buzzer-beating submission on Neil Magny in second round

Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov passed the toughest test of his UFC career by finishing Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 38.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] proved he’s a real threat to the top of the welterweight division with his submission win over Neil Magny.

The undefeated Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) received a tough test in the veteran Magny (26-9 MMA, 19-8 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 38, but proved he belongs among the top of the division with his phenomenal performance.

The fight got off to a quick start as Rakhmonov caught a kick from Magny early and used it to push him to the canvas. From there, Rakhmonov took top position on the mat and began to work from half guard. Magny did well to hold on to prevent damage, but things heated up when Rakhmonov postured up about three minutes into the round and began raining down punches.

Magny did well to return fire with upkicks, but he couldn’t keep Rakhmonov away as he slid right back into top position a moment later and continued to land punches. Magny then began attacking a heel, but Rakhmonov was able to defend the submission attempts until the end of the round.

Magny found himself on the defensive early in the second after a few striking exchanges. Rakhmonov closed the distance, initiated a clinch, and got the fight to the ground just over a minute into the round. Rakhmonov controlled the action from the top while Magny did his best to try to get up, but found himself in position to have his neck caught in a deep guillotine with just seconds remaining.

The choke was too deep, and Magny was forced to tap with just two seconds remaining in the round.

The undefeated record of Rakhmonov remains intact after facing arguably his toughest opponent to date. The Uzbekistan native finished the first three fights of his UFC career, taking out Alex Oliveira, Michel Prazeres, and Carlston Harris. Now, he has a finish over Magny on his resume, who has been a mainstay of the top 15 for many years.

A win of this caliber proves Rakhmonov is ready for the next step up in top-heavy welterweight division, and his call out of Stephen Thompson tells everyone exactly how high he’s aiming.

Magny entered Saturday’s contest at No. 13 among welterweights in the latest USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie rankings, and Rakhmonov was right on his heels at No. 15.

Magny’s two-fight win streak comes to a halt by the hands of Rakhmonov. Magny entered Saturday’s contest on the heels of a split decision win over Max Griffin in March and a unanimous decision win over Geoff Neal last May. Saturday’s result was the first setback for Magny since a decision loss to Michael Chiesa in January 2021.

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC on ESPN 38 include: