The Octagon has seen several fighters exuding an aura of devastation. From Francis Ngannou to Anthony Johnson, there have been quite a few who have previously topped this chart of fear. As we look towards the modern picture, there is an array of combatants who fit into this description, but based on the recent run, Alex Pereira should top the list. The Brazilian native has defended his title twice in the year in 2024 and has won both of his fights via scary knockouts. His stone-cold expressions and his famous bow and arrow celebration add to the intimidation factor as well.

However, 41-year-old Laura Sanko doesn’t quite feel the same. In a recent list, she named fighters who, according to her, are the most intimidating. Surprisingly, ‘Poatan’ finds himself in the second position.

Laura Sanko labels Rakhmonov as the most intimidating fighter

Shavkat Rakhmonov is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division. ‘Nomad’ is currently unbeaten in the UFC and holds a record of 18-0 in his career. The 29-year-old impressed one and all with his performance, especially Laura Sanko. A recent post shared by MMA Orbit read “Laura Sanko names Shavkat Rakhmonov as the most intimidating fighter in the UFC right now.”

Laura Sanko, for a long time, has taken a keen liking for ‘Nomad’ and his fighting style, and the pair has a bit of history between them. Ever since the 41-year-old commentator hyped the Kazak star during the UFC 279 weigh-in, rumors about her crushing on him began to spread. However, she later went on to clarify while speaking to Michael Bisping that she is merely a fan of the fighter.

She said, “I don’t have a crush on the man, but I’ve been a big fan of his… [by that logic] I have a crush on you, I have a crush on ‘DC’ [Daniel Cormier], literally to anyone I say anything nice to… I was a fan of his when he first came to the UFC… He makes it here, [and] continues to do unbelievable, amazing things… So I kept pumping him up at the weigh-in show.”

The talented Kazak fighter was last seen inside the Octagon at UFC 296 when he took on Stephen Thompson. Rakhmonov won the fight via submission in the second round and kept his winning momentum going. He is now eyeing a shot at the belt and has engaged in a lot of social media brawls with the champion, Belal Muhammad.

Shavkat Rakhmonov reminds Belal Muhammad about his fourteen months of inactivity

Newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad created history a few months after becoming the first Palestinian descendant to claim a UFC title. However, he has already found himself a new opponent in ‘Nomad.’ After his victory, the 29-year-old took time to congratulate Muhammad on his X account. However, he also reminded him of his promise of a title shot soon. Unimpressed by the claims, ‘Remember the Name’ seems to be in no mood to give him a title shot and rather wants to enjoy his hard-earned success.

The pair have been going back and forth for a long time on social media, with the Kazak fighter blaming the champion for inactivity. Muhammad did take the comments seriously and responded, “Inactive? Lol, I’m still on trial, and Shavkat hasn’t fought since 2023. I think Shavkat and Usman should fight to find the real number one contender.” Unimpressed by the response, Rakhmonov also took a slight dig at the champion and reminded him how he got a title shot despite staying inactive. He tweeted, “Do you have a case of selective memory, or did you just forget that you didn’t fight for 14 months before challenging for the belt? 🤫”

Currently, there is no announcement for the next fight in the welterweight division. Will Belal Muhammad defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.