Surging welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov breaks character, calls out former UFC title challenger Kelvin Gastelum for next fight

Shavkat Rakhmonov is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in the welterweight division and he is seemingly ready for the next step. As he continues to maintain his unbeaten run, the rising talent took to social media to call for a fight against former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum.

The TUF winner has been a mainstay in the 185 lb weight class but is ready to return to welterweight and make a title surge. Last time out, the southpaw put on a great performance in his back-and-forth clash with Chris Curtis and arguably looked better than ever, before deciding to move back down in weight.

In a post on Twitter, Shavkat Rakhmonov took the chance to call for a Kelvin Gastelum matchup after he announced his intent at a 170 lb return in a video posted on social media.

"Should I be the one to welcome Kelvin back to 170? Dana White, Sean Shelby."

Before deciding to move up to middleweight, Gastelum had a great 5-2 record in the division. The two defeats ended by a split decision and came against former champion Tyron Woodley and veteran Neil Magny.

Despite a strong start to life at 185, the NJCAA wrestler has struggled in the octagon of late, winning just two of his last seven outings and falling out of the top 10 in the rankings. The contender has lost to a star-studded lineup of Israel Adesanya, Darren Till, Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier, and Chris Weidman.

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Does Kelvin Gastelum vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov make sense?

Shavkat Rakhmonov has been on a tear throughout the welterweight division and is likely within touching distance of a title shot, but does a Gastelum matchup make sense next?

'Nomad' finds himself ranked at #6 and getting a win over a notable name will put the rest of the division on notice. Beating a former interim title challenger and TUF veteran would be the biggest win of his career, closely followed by his huge submission victory over Geoff Neal last time out.

For Kelvin Gastelum, moving to 170 and instantly challenging a fighter on the cusp of a top 5 spot would be huge for his title plans. The two are considered big enough to headline a Fight Night card or be a huge piece of a blockbuster pay-per-view event.