Joaquin Buckley isn’t buying the Shavkat Rakhmonov hype. Despite Rakhmonov’s undefeated record and dominant performances, Buckley thinks the welterweight contender is overrated and believes newly crowned champ Belal Muhammad will handle him in their likely upcoming title fight. Buckley shared his thoughts on the matchup, backing Muhammad to defend his belt against “The Nomad.”
While Rakhmonov has shown a strong presence in UFC, Buckley is confident that Belal’s skills and experience will be enough to get the job done. It’s shaping up to be an exciting showdown, but Buckley’s money is on Muhammad to keep the gold.
‘New Mansa’ recently sat down for an interview with ‘Inside Fighting’. During their conversation, the interviewer asked Buckley who he feels will be holding the title by the time he gets a title shot whether it would be Belal or someone else potentially Shavkat. The 30-year-old replied saying,
“I know it is going to be Belal. The reason why I say that too, first off I have shouted out that Shavkat has never been as good as people claim. But the reason I say that with so much confidence is because when he had the opportunity to fight me he did not take it. Guys don’t realise that you can not wait on the opportunity to get a title.”
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He added that Rakhmonov’s unwillingness to take on a fight on short notice shows his lack of belief in himself. However, his record says otherwise as he is 18-0 with wins over the likes of Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal, and Neil Magny among others. Rakhmonov is also the front-runner for a title shot.
Muhammad picks Rakhmonov for more ‘aura’
Muhammad is ready to defend his welterweight title, and he’s got his sights set on Rakhmonov. After capturing the belt against Leon Edwards at UFC 304, Muhammad has been going back and forth with Kamaru Usman, but he’s not too keen on that matchup.
“For me, I’d rather it be Shavkat,” Muhammad told Kevin Iole. He believes Rakhmonov, who’s undefeated and coming off a submission win over Stephen Thompson, brings more hype and no excuses if beaten.
Meanwhile, Usman’s on a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t fought since his loss to Khamzat Chimaev. “He needs to prove he’s still hungry,” Muhammad said, adding that Usman should get another win first.
As for other contenders, Muhammad doesn’t see anyone else stepping up. So, it looks like Rakhmonov is the top choice for his first title defense. Fans can expect an exciting showdown if it comes together.
