Shavkat
Rakhmonov notched the biggest win of his career on Saturday,
but it turns out he nearly didn’t make it to the cage at all.
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Rakhmonov handed Stephen
“Wonderboy” Thompson his first ever submission loss via a
second-round rear naked choke on the UFC 296 main card at the
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This marked the 18th finish for the
undefeated Kazakh in as many career outings, including six in the
UFC. Having now notched wins over tested welterweights like
Geoff
Neal, Neil Magny
and now Thompson, “Nomad” called for a title shot next.
After the event, “Nomad” revealed that he suffered a major ligament
tear in his ankle six weeks out from his clash against Thompson
which curtailed his kicking game and had him contemplating
withdrawing from the event entirely. Rakhmonov said during the
post-fight show:
“I had a very serious injury and I was even close to pulling out
from the fight, but I decided to risk it all. and that’s why I
didn’t kick it with my legs, just used my knees. But thanks God, I
got the victory…Hopefully next time, with God’s willing, I’m going
to be 100 percent. But it doesn’t matter. Whatever injury [I have],
you know I’m going to fight to my last blood, until the last sip of
blood, because I have to get a win.”