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#2. UFC welterweight division: Neil Magny vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
After he destroyed Carlston Harris in February to go 3-0 in the UFC, it was inevitable that Shavkat Rakhmonov would be handed a step up in his next fight. That step-up is here in the form of Neil Magny, who is not only ranked higher than ‘Nomad’, but who also has miles more experience.
It seems incredible, but Magny is closing in on a decade of action inside the octagon, as he debuted there in early 2013 after his appearance on the 16th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
‘The Haitian Sensation’ wasn’t expected to make much noise, especially after going 1-2 in his first three bouts, but a seven-fight win streak followed and not only opened people’s eyes, but it moved him into the top ten, too.
Since then, Magny has had his ups and downs. He’s picked up some huge wins, beating fighters like Kelvin Gastelum, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit, but he’s also suffered some bad losses too, a number by stoppage.
Essentially, the TUF veteran is probably the welterweight division’s best gatekeeper. Beat Magny, and a fighter is probably going to be considered to be at the elite level. So is Rakhmonov that good?
Based on what we’ve seen thus far, he definitely could be. He’s shown a sneakily dangerous grappling game to go along with his nasty, explosive strikes, and we haven’t really seen him in any bad areas either.
Magny is likely to be able to force him to fight against at least some adversity. He’s taller than ‘Nomad’, possesses a reach advantage and can work behind a jab well, meaning that if Rakhmonov wants to catch him, he’ll have to work very hard.
However, ‘The Haitian Sensation’ has also historically struggled with explosive fighters, particularly those who are specialists in one area, as Rakhmonov is on the feet.
The smart pick is probably Magny. He’s far more experienced, knows how to win fights, and is on a two-bout win streak. However, Rakhmonov looks remarkably dangerous and is a brutal finisher in all areas – and at some stage, he’s likely to catch Magny – meaning that he could produce something special.
The Pick: Rakhmonov via first round KO
