#1 UFC welterweight contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov is set for the biggest fight of his career as he challenges newly crowned champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310. This will be Belal’s first title defense after an impressive victory over Leon Edwards earlier this year and Rakhmonov has claimed to fully understand the enormity of the task at hand.
Rakhmonov, who boasts an undefeated record with a finish in every fight, remains grounded ahead of the matchup. Despite his dominant run, he acknowledges that facing a gritty and experienced fighter like Belal will be no easy task, saying he expects to have a tough battle when they meet in the octagon.
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, the undefeated fighter dived deeper into his thoughts on facing the champion.
“You can never underestimate Belal Muhammad. He listens to his coaches well, has good technique, I don’t think I’ll have an easy time. I simply fight to the end.”
When asked about Belal training with Khabib and his team and what impact it has had on his game, Rakhmonov said,
“Their input played a part. He’s a hard worker, he’s always improving. I wish him luck, when we meet let the stronger man win. I will give it my all, I want to bring the title to back to Kazakhstan.”
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Despite securing a finish in every fight so far, ‘Nomad’ has found it increasingly difficult as he has risen up in the rankings and the opponents have gotten better. In his most recent fight against Geoff Neal, he was pushed to the limit before securing a submission eventually.
Meanwhile, Belal’s coach is excited about the prospect of handing Rakhmonov his first loss.
Shavkat’s got hype but Belal…
Mike Valle is thrilled about the upcoming challenge of helping Belal Muhammad defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Valle, who’s been in the corner for underdog champions before—like Muhammad’s win over Leon Edwards and Julianna Peña’s victory over Raquel Pennington—knows this is a tough fight, but he’s confident in the Palestinian-American champion’s skills.
“It’s a great challenge,” Valle said, adding,
“Shavkat’s got a lot of hype, but Belal is the best in the world, no matter where the fight goes. He can go forward, backward, on the ground, or wherever it needs to be.”
Valle has always believed in Belal’s championship potential.
“From the moment he walked into my gym, I told him, ‘You’re going to be a world champion.’ His work ethic and drive are unmatched. He’s earned this moment.”
Since winning his title against Edwards in Manchester, Belal has made it clear to anyone who would listen- he wants to fight the best the division has to offer and he wants to fight often unlike his last two predecessors who held up the division.
Edwards and Kamaru Usman before him, spent a better part of two to three years fighting each other or picking up beefs with Colby Covington and granting him title shots despite the latter having done nothing to lay claim to it. Belal has promised his reign will be different and a fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov is a testament to that.
