5 potential opponents for Shavkat Rakhmonov following his victory last weekend

#4. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Sean Brady

Sean Brady might be the hottest prospect in the welterweight division right now even if he's flying under the radar

While there’s a massive amount of hype around Khamzat Chimaev right now, the most proven prospect in the welterweight division is arguably Sean Brady.

The native of Philadelphia is flying under the radar right now, but he’s a remarkably talented fighter who is 15-0 and has already picked up five wins in the UFC. That includes an impressive victory over Michael Chiesa in his last bout.

Brady isn’t a flashy fighter by any means. For the most part, his stoic nature on the microphone has meant that he hasn’t caught on with UFC fans just yet.

However, his stifling grappling style and ability to dominate his opponents on the mat en route to a potential submission have made him a nightmare match for every fighter he’s faced thus far, with nobody finding a way to defeat him.

Would it be a good idea for the UFC to match two prospects like Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov against one another? It’s debatable. The promotion has done this before, most notably by matching Jon Jones and Ryan Bader against one another in 2011, but whether it’s a good move is questionable.

However, Brady isn’t exactly a star fighter and so the promotion may well decide that the chance of a flashier fighter like Rakhmonov knocking him off might be worth the risk. Either way, this would definitely be a great fight to watch, and the outcome would be a huge question mark.

---

#3. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Muslim Salikhov

Muslim Salikhov's flashy striking would make him an excellent match for Shavkat Rakhmonov

If the UFC wants to match Shavkat Rakhmonov with a fighter who is both a beatable opponent and also a fellow flashy striker, thus ensuring a highly exciting bout, they could do much worse than pairing him with Muslim Salikhov.

Currently ranked at No.15 in the welterweight division, Salikhov hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that he entered the UFC with after his viral knockout of Melvin Guillard on the regional scene.

However, after suffering a debut defeat to Alex Garcia, he’s quietly reeled off five wins in a row, including brutal knockouts of Ricky Rainey and Nordine Taleb, and an impressive victory over tough veteran Francisco Trinaldo in his most recent bout.

One of the rare MMA fighters to have a background in Wushu Sanda, Salikhov prefers to stand and strike, usually throwing an array of wild kicks. However, he’s also a solid grappler with decent takedowns and a developing submission game.

Essentially, the native of Dagestan is very much cut from the same cloth as Rakhmonov and so this fight would almost guarantee fireworks. A victory would also break ‘Nomad’ into the top 15 at 170 pounds, meaning that this would be a worthy bout to make.