Some people probably have fighting skills in their genes. This may be the reason why the combat sports world has often witnessed multiple fighters coming out of the same family. The famous Diaz brothers of MMA, Nick, and Nate, stand as one such bright example. But they are far from being the only ones.
The undefeated UFC welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov also presents an example of a family with fighting in their genes. But unlike the Diaz brothers, ‘Nomad’s’ sibling sister is the one who followed in his footsteps and got into professional MMA. However, fans may not know much about her since she has only fought for a local Kazakhstani MMA promotion to date.
Shavkat’s sister is named Shora Rakhmonov. She was born on June 21, 1998, in Shurchi, Uzbekistan, and stands four years younger than his elder brother. She was only 12 years old when their family relocated to Karagandy, Kazakhstan. They lived with their relatives and faced severe financial trouble during their initial years in Karagandy. Shora also had to watch her brother work as a truck and warehouse loader to provide financial assistance to their family.
In many ways, Shavkat served as an inspiration to her. Shora got into amateur MMA in the year 2018 and fought six times till November 2019. She holds a 4-2 record as an amateur. But, it was in 2021 when she finally decided to enter professional MMA. Shora signed with a local Kazakhstani promotion named ‘Naiza Fighter Championship’ and had her first pro-MMA bout on 29 January 2021 as a bantamweight. She finished off her rival Burayma Akbalaeva with a superb triangle choke in the second round of her debut fight.
Unfortunately, her second fight ended with disappointment as she lost to Veronika Borisova via a unanimous decision. But Shora showcased her warrior spirit with a strong comeback and hasn’t lost any of her fights to date. Shavkat’s sister currently boasts a commendable record of 4-1 in her pro-MMA career.
What does the relationship between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Shora Rakhmonova look like?
The fact that Shora chose to get into MMA following in her brother’s footsteps says a lot about her feelings towards her brother. The two have grown up together and have seen the same struggles throughout their upbringing. She has also witnessed how Shavkat had to take up jobs that required extremely heavy physical efforts, right from his late teenage years. Hence, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she also has a lot of respect for her brother, apart from the usual bond that siblings have between them.
Shavkat also reciprocates the same feeling towards his sister. A few days before Shora’s pro-MMA debut, Shavkat was interviewed by a channel named ‘ZTB | QAZAQSTAN’ where he said:
“I’m very worried about Sora, even more than I am about myself. But I know she has a huge talent and will make her debut professionally. I wish her luck, and I believe in her.”
His words showcase that, like any other elder brother, he is pretty caring and often stays worried about his sister. Well, the way in which Shora has followed Shavkat’s footsteps to date also points a finger at another possibility. Will UFC fans get to see her in the women’s bantamweight division anytime soon? Only time has the answer.
