Shavkat Rakhmonov Wants to Wait for UFC Title Shot Next

Like who?
Belal is ranked #1 so not him.
Brady is ranked at 2 and is on a 3 fight win streak with Leon, Burns & Gastellum after losing to Belal. So not him.
Shavkat is ranked 3
Usman and Leon are 4 & 5 Not them.
Garry is next with a 1 fight streak since losing to Shavkat so not him.
Morales is next and at 18-0 looks amazing. Burns at 38 and Magny at 37 are good wins but he needs to fight someone elite and not seconds from retirement.

I don't see any reason to punish a guy who got legit injuries and there isn't anyone with more quality wins let alone multiple as you assert.
Initial reaction was that comment felt off, and you've destroyed it with the actual data to back it up
 
This is the fight i want to see. Shavkat needs to be fraud checked. Morales has those Ilia vibes right now. UFC will make this fight next.
If Shavkat loses a fight he isn't "fraud checked". He's still a top quality fighter. What a dumb comment
 
I think Shavkat is ready by the end of the year iirc, so that means he will be ready to fight the winner of Islam/JDM.

Can't really see anyone except perhaps Brady doing enough in that time to pass Shavkat and that crazy aura he carries.
I think even the end of this year will be too late for Shavkat. Like you said regarding Brady, he very likely fights one more time in the fall and it will probably be against Usman or Ian. If Brady manages to beat either he is going to leap frog over Shavkat and get the winner of JDM/Islam. Another scenario is Usman picks up one more big win, if that happens Usman is most definitely leap frogging over EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY if Islam beats JDM. Shavkat is still young, they know he can wait, Usman is at the end of his career if they can make a big fight like Usman vs Islam happen they will prioritize it. Shavkat is playing with fire sitting around and waiting, you can only sit out for so long without winning in a busy division full of contenders.
 
Shavkat should already be next. He was scheduled for a title fight and the champ pulled out, and then he still fought and beat a contender. To go further, Garry has only lost in the UFC to Shavkat.

It's unfortunate for him Islam is moving up and skipping him. He doesn't need to get skipped again, he's already getting fucked over.
 
If Shavkat loses a fight he isn't "fraud checked". He's still a top quality fighter. What a dumb comment

If you see Shavkat vs Brady, Belal, Morales, or Usman. And you actually get to see how terrible his wrestling is. At first you will use the knee injury as an excuse for why he looked so terrible, but eventually you will acknowledge that his skill level is so far off from the hype, and that he was in fact "fraud checked"
 
Someone who can stay active enough to fight an eliminator
Again I will ask "Like Who". Having had an injury doesn't mean he can't/won't be active moving forward. Hard for a fighter to stay active when his next fight should be for a title if they won't book you for the title.
 
Again I will ask "Like Who". Having had an injury doesn't mean he can't/won't be active moving forward. Hard for a fighter to stay active when his next fight should be for a title if they won't book you for the title.
It absolutely does mean he won’t be active moving forward

These things don’t happen in a vacuum. He’s going to need to take longer breaks between camps and manage his knee

Brady Usman and Belal pass him with a big win. Ian ties him. Maybe even Morales
 
It absolutely does mean he won’t be active moving forward

These things don’t happen in a vacuum. He’s going to need to take longer breaks between camps and manage his knee

Brady Usman and Belal pass him with a big win. Ian ties him. Maybe even Morales
How about if he knee is so bad one of these guys beats him? After he gets his title shot. Belal is the one that pulled out of Shavkat's title shot. Instead of waiting for Belal he fought Ian Garry in what could have easily been an interim fight. Shavkat won that so why should he not get a title shot? If Islam wasn't skipping the line Shavkat would be next. Why should he fight someone else? What is Islam gets injured? What if JDM gets injured? Shavkat should be next. He hasn't lost while Brady lost to Belal, Ian Garry lost to Shavkat. Those two should fight so see which one progresses to a title shot.

Belal passes him? GTFO. No way the UFC books him for a title shot ever again. How about the UFC books Belal vs Shavkat on the same card as Islam vs JDM with Shavkat guaranteed the winner and is the "Back Up" if Ismal falls out or JDM and it is for the Interim title. That is the only way it makes sense for Shavkat. He deserves a title shot, thats why he was booked for a title shot.
 
How about if he knee is so bad one of these guys beats him? After he gets his title shot. Belal is the one that pulled out of Shavkat's title shot. Instead of waiting for Belal he fought Ian Garry in what could have easily been an interim fight. Shavkat won that so why should he not get a title shot? If Islam wasn't skipping the line Shavkat would be next. Why should he fight someone else? What is Islam gets injured? What if JDM gets injured? Shavkat should be next. He hasn't lost while Brady lost to Belal, Ian Garry lost to Shavkat. Those two should fight so see which one progresses to a title shot.

Belal passes him? GTFO. No way the UFC books him for a title shot ever again. How about the UFC books Belal vs Shavkat on the same card as Islam vs JDM with Shavkat guaranteed the winner and is the "Back Up" if Ismal falls out or JDM and it is for the Interim title. That is the only way it makes sense for Shavkat. He deserves a title shot, thats why he was booked for a title shot.
“If his knee is so bad then they should beat him?”

Yeah that’s the point. He’s the one who doesn’t want a contender fight.

If he has it his way and wins.. there’s a chance he gets a title and then aggravates the injury and the division is fucked and stalled out
 
“If his knee is so bad then they should beat him?”

Yeah that’s the point. He’s the one who doesn’t want a contender fight.

If he has it his way and wins.. there’s a chance he gets a title and then aggravates the injury and the division is fucked and stalled out
OK but that applies to literally every fighter in the UFC and any combat sport. So lets just not give anyone a title fight.

I get having a desire to see Champions be active. That's why there should be a hard and fast rule for defenses in a specific time frame. Also having officialy #1 contender match ups. If Shavkat was told you have to fight X (Belal for example) and the winner gets the next title shot then I am sure he would. But the UFC are at fault for creating situations where guys don't get what they deserve. Why should Shavkat fight anyone unless it is 100% a title shot? He was supposed to fight and the champ got injured so he took another fight. Then when Belal is ready he gets injured and they don't wait to book it they put in JDM. Fair enough but no reason why Shavkat shouldn't be next. Insert LW champion and FW killer Islam. Shavkat must wait again??? So why should he fight anyone else? He is already proven title worthy and its his turn.

Moreales looks good but hasn't beat anyone that makes him title shot worthy IMO. Put him in with a top 5 guy. Put him against winner of Usman vs Buckley. While Shavkat gets his title shot the winner of that can get next
 
OK but that applies to literally every fighter in the UFC and any combat sport. So lets just not give anyone a title fight.

I get having a desire to see Champions be active. That's why there should be a hard and fast rule for defenses in a specific time frame. Also having officialy #1 contender match ups. If Shavkat was told you have to fight X (Belal for example) and the winner gets the next title shot then I am sure he would. But the UFC are at fault for creating situations where guys don't get what they deserve. Why should Shavkat fight anyone unless it is 100% a title shot? He was supposed to fight and the champ got injured so he took another fight. Then when Belal is ready he gets injured and they don't wait to book it they put in JDM. Fair enough but no reason why Shavkat shouldn't be next. Insert LW champion and FW killer Islam. Shavkat must wait again??? So why should he fight anyone else? He is already proven title worthy and its his turn.

Moreales looks good but hasn't beat anyone that makes him title shot worthy IMO. Put him in with a top 5 guy. Put him against winner of Usman vs Buckley. While Shavkat gets his title shot the winner of that can get next
You make a lot of good points. Except the first paragraph

“All athletes could get injured”

Yeah sure.. but the guys who’s coming off a major injury is far more of a liability

But again.. rest of your post is logically sound. He did beat Ian.. Morales isn’t ready.. Usman is even less active. So it’s really just him and Brady

My only counter argument would be that we aren’t talking about a title fight any time soon. We are talking about a fight in like next April at the soonest.

Guys want to fight. What happens if Brady beats Ian Garry in December? You can’t take Shavs resume over that imo

And also if you don’t reward activity then the whole division will start to slow down. Don’t like Ian but if he fights again this year and wins. You gotta reward that
 
You make a lot of good points. Except the first paragraph

“All athletes could get injured”

Yeah sure.. but the guys who’s coming off a major injury is far more of a liability

But again.. rest of your post is logically sound. He did beat Ian.. Morales isn’t ready.. Usman is even less active. So it’s really just him and Brady

My only counter argument would be that we aren’t talking about a title fight any time soon. We are talking about a fight in like next April at the soonest.

Guys want to fight. What happens if Brady beats Ian Garry in December? You can’t take Shavs resume over that imo

And also if you don’t reward activity then the whole division will start to slow down. Don’t like Ian but if he fights again this year and wins. You gotta reward that
He fought Ian Garry with an injury. He fought Wonderboy with and injury. That sounds like a reliable guy to me. They weren't the same injury so it's not like he has some glaring area that will never heal up. GSP had a major knee injury, he wan't a liability. Usman supposedly has bad knees but he is old as dirt for a WW. Shavkat is only 30.

Personally I feel if they can skip over Shavkat when he earned a title shot and did the UFC a solid staying on the UFC 310 card after Belal pulled out and fought Ian Garry with an injury then there is no meritocracy. You can't argue Brady or Ian "Deserve" anything. Skipping Shavkat over for Islam is bad enough but that is the reason why guys lower have to wait longer and keep fighting to differentiate themselves and prove they "Deserve" it. That will be after Shavkat gets his shot because he already proved he deserves it Brady lost, Garry lost, Shavkat hasn't he should be next. Just my opinion.
 
He fought Ian Garry with an injury. He fought Wonderboy with and injury. That sounds like a reliable guy to me. They weren't the same injury so it's not like he has some glaring area that will never heal up. GSP had a major knee injury, he wan't a liability. Usman supposedly has bad knees but he is old as dirt for a WW. Shavkat is only 30.

Personally I feel if they can skip over Shavkat when he earned a title shot and did the UFC a solid staying on the UFC 310 card after Belal pulled out and fought Ian Garry with an injury then there is no meritocracy. You can't argue Brady or Ian "Deserve" anything. Skipping Shavkat over for Islam is bad enough but that is the reason why guys lower have to wait longer and keep fighting to differentiate themselves and prove they "Deserve" it. That will be after Shavkat gets his shot because he already proved he deserves it Brady lost, Garry lost, Shavkat hasn't he should be next. Just my opinion.
Then why should any of the contenders fight again this year if They’re 18 months out of a title shot? Again the Shavkat fight would be a long ass time from now. To be clear, it’s the fight in November and he’s ready, he deserves ir over Brady

I’m thinking about next year and how the division is already backed up. You say “the next one is up for grabs” and you actually get some fights.

Funny thing is Ilia might get the next title fight so if that’s a possibility you might as well just have a whole damn tournament in the meantime for the next contender up
 
Then why should any of the contenders fight again this year if They’re 18 months out of a title shot? Again the Shavkat fight would be a long ass time from now. To be clear, it’s the fight in November and he’s ready, he deserves ir over Brady

I’m thinking about next year and how the division is already backed up. You say “the next one is up for grabs” and you actually get some fights.

Funny thing is Ilia might get the next title fight so if that’s a possibility you might as well just have a whole damn tournament in the meantime for the next contender up
The Toppy idea of a WW shot is so fucking sad. If they do that then they should just shut down all divisions. No point in being a contender if you can just jump into title shots with select matcxh ups and single wins as a champ.
 
The Toppy idea of a WW shot is so fucking sad. If they do that then they should just shut down all divisions. No point in being a contender if you can just jump into title shots with select matcxh ups and single wins as a champ.
Agreed and I love it when fighters challenge above their weight class. But that division is too logjammed
 
Agreed and I love it when fighters challenge above their weight class. But that division is too logjammed
Since Jon was stripped or vacated they could have just made Islam vs Toppy for the HW belt and left Tom to defend the Interim Titlte.
 
Back
Top