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6 Feb, 2022 11:41

Top prospect Rakhmonov impresses with quickfire KO in latest UFC outing (VIDEO)

Khamzat Chimaev isn't the only unbeaten welterweight making a name for himself in the UFC
Top prospect Rakhmonov impresses with quickfire KO in latest UFC outing (VIDEO)

Tajikistan's Shavkat Rakhmonov has served notice to his competition in the UFC's welterweight frame that there is another contender on the rise as he continued his unbeaten streak at the expense of Guyanese star Carlston Harris in the UFC's event in Las Vegas on Saturday night. 

Rakhmonov, 27, continued his impressive run of victories with his third finish in as many UFC bouts when he hit home with a spinning hook kick which toppled Harris to the canvas, and putting an exclamation point on the performance with a series of strikes on the ground which prompted the referee's intervention.

The Tajik native has now won each of his 15 career fights without going to a decision - with just one opponent taking him as far as the third round since he made his professional debut in Russia in 2014.

"I think my fans know that I’m always finishing," Rakhmonov announced afterwards.

"I prepare on the ground, everywhere. Now thanks to god, 15-0."

Always finishing is certainly one way to put it. Rakhmonov has as varied as skillset as exists in the UFC welterweight division today, having finished 8 of his career fights by knockout and another 7 by submission

The sheer dominance of Rakhmonov's performance has let some to compare with another surging 170lbs star on the UFC roster, Khamzat Chimaev - someone who has looked similarly impressive in their initial performances in the UFC cage. 

And Rakhmonov's latest outing has fights fans excited for a potential showdown one day between two young fighters who could likely dominate the division in which they compete for years to come.

"Rakhmonov is a world class fighter. World class. Cannot wait to follow his journey to the top," noted MMA analyst Sean Sheehan of Rakhmonov's exemplary performance.

"Is there a more likely future title fight between two non-champions than Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Khamzat Chimaev?" asked another fight scribe, RJ Clifford, while another Twitter account hyped what could one day be a momentous showdown.

"What happens if Shavkat Rakhmonov fights Khamzat Chimaev?"

That question will almost certainly be answered one day in the future if both Rakhmonov and Chimaev continue to showcase their stunning skillsets in the cage. 

The UFC welterweight division and its dominant champion Kamaru Usman are crying out for new contenders to the throne after both Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal wracked up two successive losses to the champ.

But with Covington and Masvidal set to meet in a matter of weeks and Usman likely to defend his crown against England's Leon Edwards, the immediate future of the division looks set to be a lot clearer by the start of the summer - and you can be sure that both Chimaev (should he get past his rumoured fight with Gilbert Burns)and now Rakhmonov will be names at the forefront of an invasion of new talent in the upper echelon of the UFC welterweight fold. 

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