Shavkat Rakhmonov is excited about facing Stephen Thompson in the UFC 296 cage this weekend. And to prepare for this, “Nomad” has to adapt to his opponent’s style.
The two fighters will join the main card of the event. It should be a thrilling fight as both are boasting winning streaks in their current record. Despite this, Rakhmonov wants to take the bout with great caution by preparing for what his opponent might present to him in the octagon.
With nine wins via submission on his record, “Wonderboy” expects the opponent to bring the battle to the ground. Yet, the Kazakh fighter thinks it won’t be necessary, expressing confidence in winning even in the standing game. As the 29-year-old shared during the UFC 296 media day at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, his team made the necessary preparations to prepare him for this fight.
“It felt very good (to find out whom I was fighting),” Rakhmonov said. “Thompson is a great fighter. If you don’t look at his age, he’s shown his level. He’s a top fighter, and that’s why I’m excited…
“Stephen Thompson has a tricky style, and I have to adapt to his karate-like style. Some of my training partners were imitating it, so I think I’m ready for the fight. I had to make minor adjustments because of his footwork and his kick-heavy style. I worked on it to adapt to his style.”
The fighter, who even skipped his sister’s wedding to remain focused, is hoping to use his expected win over Thompson to move forward and get the title shot against Leon Edwards in the welterweight division. However, the Kazakh knows Belal Muhammad is ahead of him, thanks to the No. 2-ranked fighter’s 10-fight winning streak. With this, while admitting that “Belal Muhammad also deserves the title shot,” Nomad stressed that he’s still “ready” in case the UFC gives him a chance to face the division champ in the future.
