Behind-the-scenes footage of UFC
matchmaking:The UFC wanted to book Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Kamaru Usman in Abu
Dhabi but Ali Abdelaziz told Dana White that Kamaru wanted to fight
Wonderboy.Advertisement
Khabib also said Shavkat vs Usman was the fight to make.
🎥 Fight Inc: Inside the UFC,… pic.twitter.com/9MMJb0Eu12
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
June 8, 2024
While the
UFC wants Kamaru
Usman to fight Shavkat
Rakhmonov, the former welterweight champ seemingly would prefer
to face Stephen
Thompson instead.
The latest season of Fight Inc: Inside the UFC revealed behind the
scenes footage of the promotion’s matchmaking. UFC matchmaker Sean
Shelby was seen explaining the welterweight picture to company CEO
Dana White. While Shelby was considering a matchup between Kevin
Holland and Rakhmonov, “Trailblazer” allegedly didn’t want to
fight the Kazakh phenom.
Meanwhile, streaking Australian contender Jack
Della Maddalena has been rallying for a fight against
Rakhmonov. However, Shelby’s first choice for Rakhmonov’s opponent
was Usman.
“The real thing is [Kevin] Holland doesn’t really wanna fight
Shavkat,” Shelby told White. “[Jack
Della Maddalena] over here going, ‘Give me anybody.’ And I told
him, ‘Holland’s here, Holland’s fine.’ And then he goes, ‘What
about Shavkat?’ He goes, ‘I wanna go the fastest way to the
championship.’ The thing is though that [Kamaru] Usman is still out
there. That fight with Shavkat and Usman.”
At this point, White was informed that Usman’s manager, Ali
Abdelaziz, was in the vicinity. White immediately rushed to
Abdelaziz with the offer of Usman vs. Rakhmonov at
UFC on ABC 7 in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3.
“Shavkat vs. Usman in Abu Dhabi,” White said.
However, Abdelaziz revealed that “The Nigerian Nightmare” wants
Thompson, who is coming off a loss against Rakhmonov and is 1-3 in
his last four.
“Usman-‚Wonderboy,’ that’s what he wants, Abdelaziz replied.
White was surprised at Usman’s choice of opponent and did not miss
the chance to take a dig at Thompson for pulling out of UFC 291.
Thompson said he was initially not paid for making weight and
refusing to fight an overweight Michel
Pereira but has since been paid his dues. White also reminded
Abdelaziz of the significantly different implications of a
potential win over Rakhmonov instead of Thompson.
“Wonderboy? He wouldn’t even fight when the guy was three pounds
over him… What does it mean if he beats ‘Wonderboy?’” White said.
“What does it mean if he beats Shavkat?”
Former UFC lightweight champ Khabib
Nurmagomedov, who was sitting beside Abdelaziz, asked White if
a win over Rakhmonov guarantees Usman the “next contender”
spot.
“100%,” White said.
Usman is currently on a three-fight skid, with consecutive title
losses against Leon
Edwards followed by a close majority decision loss against
Khamzat
Chimaev in his middleweight debut.
Meanwhile, Rakhmonov has finishes in all 18 of his pro fights — six
in the UFC — and is on the cusp of a title shot. It remains to be
seen whether Usman’s insistence on fighting Thompson grants a title
eliminator spot to Maddalena, who is riding a 17-fight winning
streak – including seven UFC outings.