Shavkat Rakhmonov couldn’t have imagined a better end to the UFC 285 event. The 28-year-old stepped into the cage with a hundred percent finish rate and was successfully able to maintain that impressive record after choking out Geoff Neil in a back-and-forth slugfest. This effort from Rakhmonov and Neil also saw the bout get announced as the ‘Fight of the Night’, meaning both fighters would end up receiving a healthy bonus. Despite it being an entertaining fight with both the guys having their moments, it was Rakhmonov who was able to pull off the win in the third round.
Following the win, MMA fans couldn’t help but talk about how impressive Rakhmonov has been during his short UFC career. During all the fanfare, a clip of his training with Khabib Nurmagomedov also started doing the rounds online, adding just more hype to the already popular fighter’s image.
Old clip shows Shavkat Rakhmonov training with Khabib Nurmagomedov
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The clip which couldn’t be dated had ‘Nomad’ in a training session with Nurmagomodov. The former UFC champ coached several students in the past which included Rakhmonov, and a group of younger athletes as well. It appeared as if the Russian was sharing the intricacies of mixing up wrestling and striking together.
wonder why Shavkat is so good? Khabib & Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov were some of his first trainers 🐐 pic.twitter.com/6SIgr7cl3Q
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) March 5, 2023
Rakhmonov is an extremely well-rounded athlete and it looks like all the training with the Russian seemed to have paid off.
Let’s take a look at some of the reactions fans left n the clip:
Don't know how long Shavkat trained with Khabib & his dad, but Shavkat did say that he eventually wants to do a training camp with Team Khabib.
— Mohammed Z (@MohammedZetzu) March 5, 2023
One goat training a future goat
— Troy Hartung (@TroyH97) March 5, 2023
Dagestani takeover💪🏽
— A.U.F (@UmarFarukA13) March 5, 2023
Coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov pic.twitter.com/6xZiEQCfvA
— Safnan (@Safnan17) March 5, 2023
Their games do not match anyhow.
— Alexandre 👞 (@taricast) March 5, 2023
woow the influence is deep https://t.co/GSgn9MSDVG
— Mohamed (@Mohamedkhalid_H) March 5, 2023
Luckily he didn’t listen to his tips on striking 🤣🤣
— 🚨DADDY🚨 (@__dagger___) March 5, 2023
Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal in back and forth affair at UFC 285
Rakhmonov’s hard work which has been evident through the unearthed training video and multiple fights certainly has helped the young fighter. His efforts and fighting abilities were also clearly evident during his bout against Geoff Neil.
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Despite facing an experienced fighter, the 28-year-old was able to stand toe to toe with Neil. The fight saw both the guys try and finish each other with powerful strikes which could have ended any other lesser fighter. Their conditioning was also on display as both were able to maintain their pace throughout the fight.
Despite choosing to rely more on his striking, the Kazakhi fighter had to eventually go back to his grappling skills as he choked out Geoff Neil in the third round. Impressively, this win also helped him maintain his hundred percent finish record in his seventeen fights.
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Ultimately, the young fighter has proved his worth with his performance at UFC 285. And after seeing clips of him training with Khabib Nurmagomedov, one can easily see why the 28-year-old has been so impressive in his fights.
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