Shavkat Rakhmonov, the MOST Exciting Story in Sports

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Sonnen talks Shavkat Rakhmonov on this episode of Beyond the Fight
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All things UFC and MMA with the undefeated Bad Guy, Chael Sonnen. UFC Champions, Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, the MMA hour and commentary on the latest UFC news, UFC Champions in 2022, UFC knockouts and finishes.

[@jonsoler3648]

I have no idea how there are people that watched that fight and thought it was a bad performance from Rakhmonov or that it was boring. That fight was a brilliant display of tactical prowess, Shavkat slowly walked up on Wonderboy, turned him around and smothered him in both rounds, finding the submission in the 2nd when no other opponent in Wonderboy's career managed to submit him. Shavkat is a very intelligent fighter and that fight showed it.

[@fahed2544]

People saying that are just mad that wonderboy lost. I like both of those guys and I understand people wanna see karate from wonderboy but Shavkat’s game plan was smart

[@Dinlow]

I can tell you why I think it wasn’t as enjoyable. From a technical standpoint, it was good to see SR do his thing, to submit WB is not easy and credit to him. I like watching WBs style and technique, seeing him strike is enjoyable and interesting to watch. At this stage of his career, it’s unlikely he will get to a title shot due to people knowing that the other to victory is to hold him/aim for the submission (Burns, Belal, SR, as examples). I think I want to see WB do his thing at this stage of his career and understand that is antithetical to MMA / best vs the best, but it’s a shame to put him against people who want to hold him. Nothing against it, but you just know how the fight will look. Just my opinion.

[@beaualoevv]

as a fan of him. he was fence stalling the first round lol. it was obvious he didn’t want to throw hands with thompson. also he gets almost the same treatment as colby. beating washed /older guys to the title.. magny, neill, wonderboy.. all almost out of ufc / retiring. would like to see him face younger competition & prospects just like him first before getting a title shot

[@mindblown42069]

He’s one of the most boring fighters I’ve ever seen. Effective, yes, but dull. Like Khabib, half his fights were absolutely awful to watch.

[@Bill_Dippertly]

And I was extremely impressed with Wonderboy’s takedown defense. Take down defense is probably the last thing you lose with age so you can see the level of skill he has acquired from so much experience. People saying Shavkat can’t wrestle very well because he was struggling with Stephen need to rewatch the fight.

[@keithb5434]

Shavkat did not look terrible lol. He dominated the whole fight on 1 leg. Wonder boy is a monster and he looked average at best. Incredible performance.

[@OchoSaVage]

Wonderboy is 40

[@blackslav1497]

average? ok.

[@Nykandros]

Where was this excuse-hungry narrative when Khamzat won against Usman lol

[@HAMZA-uc6fv]

​@@OchoSaVageYeah no shiit we all know, however wonderboy smoked kevin holland and still one of the best technically on the feet and has amazing TDs defence, plus even legit contenders like belal and burns couldnt submit him and just hold him down, and let me tell you something wonderboy is waaay better than any of colbys wins against true 170ers, he is better than jorge, frozen woodley, lawler, maia so yeah shavkat at 27/28 has better resume than colbys lmaooo.

[@kev30631]

I hate to think what would have happened if he wasn't injured.

[@jonmoris9354]

Had a torn ankle and still went on to get a finish....what a beast

[@berikbagdat3951]

When Rakhmonov finishes his career with a 30-0 record, his fight with Thompson will be called one of the greatest. In sha Allah

[@onetwothree7502]

Protectionism it is called. And it is understandable. We full of ourselves with that after GGG. I am happy that people like Sonnen, Sanko, Luke are existing. I call them "Good people of America". I am Kazakh from Kazakhstan. I was in USA when i was student. W&T programm. I met a lot of Good People of America. They were helping me cause they are good. And whole thing with Shavkat it is wrong of course, but becomming bitter cause of that is worse. And this is why i do like Sonnen type of people. Yes a man from another country outperformed American, but this happens. Thanks to all Good People of America for making this shows possible, for speaking the truth and showing to the whole world your best part of American culture - being free to speak some truth, even if smb does not like it. Huge respect to Sonnen from Kazakshtan!

[@ahmetjan1581]

Спасибо Чейлу Соннену и Лауре Сонко , это те люди которые действительно раскручивают Шавката !

[@25Soupy]

Anthony Pettis looked good when he knocked out Wonderboy. But in no way, shape. or form did Rakhmonov look bad submitting Wonderboy, which no one has done. Shavkat Rakhmonov is everyone's favorite fighter including me.

[@cloudmamba5416]

Khamzat would of had wonderboy out in minute 2

[@ernar8926]

​@@cloudmamba5416what has Cumshot with this

[@ductrung3993]

Pettis was getting dominated until that one shot

[@ernar8926]

@@ductrung3993 WB couldn't even walk normal after Showtimes low kicks

[@eldaryerzhanov8895]

@@cloudmamba5416Shavkat would finish Burns

[@Razear]

If Rakhmonov can continue his finishing and undefeated streak, he has the potential to become a massive star without being super charismatic on the mic. That performance was exactly why Wonderboy initially turned him down.

[@ChaelSonnenOfficial]

Brilliant

[@Sixsoul]

Brilliant

[@mrswaggersticksgamingextra5246]

Brilliant

[@NoelRamboGuitar]

Brilliant

[@nickr7703]

Brilliant

[@mergenkulniyaz5067]

I think that people are already accustomed to seeing Shavkat as a dominant, aggressive striker, but in this fight he was only a wrestler. This reminded me of the GGG vs. Lemieux fight, where Golovkin also seemed boring, but for true experts it was clear that Gennady showed his best, academic boxing. The same can be said about Shavkat in the last fight.

[@daukazzz]

GGG (who is also from Kazakhstan) had a streak of 23 knockouts that spanned from 2008 to 2017, he holds the highest knockout-to-win ratio - 88.0% - in middleweight championship history. And he also hadn’t been talked enough before his fights against Jacobs and Canelo.

[@vitoandolini2064]

and he actually won Canelo twice and didnt even try his best in the third bout

[@lukeh6403]

@@vitoandolini2064 he was 41

[@worldview6218]

@@vitoandolini2064look I think most unbiased neutral observers agree prime ggg is better then prime canelo. Canelo waited for years to fight ggg, and when he did he despite favorable circumstances to him for sure lost the first fight but was handed a draw on a silver platter, and at absolute best took ggg in the 2nd to a draw. The 3rd fight isn’t even worth talking about at this point, ggg was 41 years old. It would be equivalent to paddy claiming he somehow has this amazing legacy for taking out a guy in tony ferguson who once put on a 12 fight unbeaten streak…when in actuality he beat a 40 year old gray tony ferguson well past his prime and beyond washed, and same goes for canelo.

[@FratisNox]

berterbiev has 100% finish rate too at 19-0 all finishes. Rakhmanov is still really impressive and his work on the ground is savant level shit

[@lukeh6403]

@@FratisNox still more impressive to finish in MMA cus it's 3 rounds.

[@BestPropTutorials]

I thought the same thing. Wonderboys striking was going to be Rakhmonovs toughest test in the division because thats his biggest weaknesses and he passed with flying colors. I doubt anyone at welterweight beats him at this point

[@busymountain]

If Islam goes to 70 it's going to be on with Shavkat ..

[@aidenfielding1348]

@@busymountainwho gives a fuck about islam

[@seriustraco]

@@busymountainshavkat’s submission game is too dangerous even for experienced wrestlers, if you give him the choke you are done no matter who you are, guy has insane squeeze for WB to tap with 6 secs left.

[@beaualoevv]

@@seriustraco as a fan of him. he was fence stalling the first round lol. it was obvious he didn’t want to throw hands with thompson. also he gets almost the same treatment as colby. beating washed /older guys to the title.. magny, neill, wonderboy.. all almost out of ufc / retiring. he should face younger competition & prospects just like him first before getting a title shot

[@ChristianBale-ks8nm]

Shav can finish WB on the feet. But the fact that he can wrestle against WB doesn’t let him risk his undefeated record.

[@xavierdaniels9023]

Shavkat is literally the most talented fighter I've ever seen and no ones talking about but Uncle chael

[@danitradess]

and Laura 😆

[@bodrulm1]

@@danitradess his one weakness is his defense. he gets hit a lot. He'll never fight a Makhachev, but if he got hit by someone like him they'd quickly get an advantageous grappling position and aim for submission. 2-3 more fights and he'll be a polished fighter.

[@PutonyourSundayBests]

He's very hittable. Pretty crazy that he's the best you've ever seen

[@xavierdaniels9023]

@@PutonyourSundayBests I mean everyone's hit able. That's not an argument

[@xavierdaniels9023]

@@bodrulm1 More like Islam will never fight Shavkat. He's a better striker and better grappling. Islam will have nothing for him, same for Leon. He's not getting that fight, can't win that fight, and nobody asking to see that fight. Needs to fight a lightweight, to busy rematch featherweight not one TD against LW

[@cedricwilford]

Thanks for this video. I find the Shavkat criticism from MMA fans to be so weird. We are lucky we get to see him in his prime because he is a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

[@sannatosan]

He hid his injury because it’s hard for him to get a fight. Now when he’s #3 I hope he’s going to get fights more easily

[@aigerimbekbolova7671]

What a great video about Shavhat!!! Thank you, Chael❤ You are making him super popular by making this type of videos!!! He deserves to be more publicly recognized 🙏🏻

[@onepuncheman]

❤🇰🇿

[@nursultanmukatayev5499]

Shavkat is truly a beast! Well rounded and deadly in the cage. The only skill he lacks is being witty on the mic. He could take lessons from the greatest of all time in this category - you, Chael! Much love from Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 ❤

[@mikaild3289]

Salam from Turkey to Kazakh brothers

[@nursultanmukatayev5499]

@@mikaild3289 Ualeikum assalam, brother 🇰🇿🇹🇷

[@bigchedds8389]

If the translation and body language is any indication he sounds and looks (body language) witty.

[@JDP000109]

I’ve been on the Shavkat hype train since I caught his debut against Cowboy. Ironically enough was the day Khabib retired too

[@aibaltanytastama7052]

it was not irony, but a sign of fate!

[@BG-rb6ey]

And around the same time, Khabib said he wouldn't be surprised if Shavkat won the belt.

[@Abdullah_Khan578]

Wait khabib knows shavkat personally?@@BG-rb6ey

[@LoveandHavoc]

Funny enough, since it aired, its the only Shavkat fight I've been rewatching. Sure, it doesn't have crazy spin kicks yadda yadda, but the way Shavkat single handedly took all of Wonderboy's weapons away, took basically no damage, and then submitted him is insaaaaaaane. I was disappointed watching it live, cause I wanted more of a battle. But the end result was far more intriguing!

[@armaha]

The news of the injury was disclosed by Henry Hooft after the fight in an interview to Laura Sanko.

[@ld357]

Shavkat is not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need. Give that man a title opportunity!

[@mindfulwalking]

you forgot to add “protect this man at all cost”

[@marcellomolinari8722]

He’s overrated

[@thepredator4480]

He for sure deserves it after belal unless it's a close fight vs edwards.

[@HAMZA-uc6fv]

​@@marcellomolinari8722no welterweight is overrated,other than colbum the decision merchant who has 0 wins against non washed up non old 170ers.

[@TheRealMMAGirly_TheOther1sFake]

No dude absolutely not, he just beat wonderboy, somebody that Belal Muhammad already beat like 5 fights ago on his 10 fight unbeaten streak what the hell, plus he hurt his foot. PLUS Leon sustained minimal to no damage PLUS Belal is already in fight shape. The only logical, ethical & RIGHT thing to do is turn Leon around as quickly as possible to fight Belal. Edit: & shavkat is literally my current favorite UFC fighter at this time btw

[@theone8878]

He is gonna win the belt for sure. He is crazy good.

[@user-mb5wf7df6h]

Shavkat still does not know defeat - neither in the UFC, nor in general. He is one of the top prospects in the UFC right now. Let us note that never during Shavkat’s career did his fights reach a judge’s decision-he always won either by submission or by knockout. 18 fights, 18 victories, 18 finishes. Actions always speak louder than words.

[@chiquita683]

Welterweight is dead outside of Shavkat. He ran Chimaev out the division, now he's got to carry the whole thing on his back. Keep making fights exciting

[@uakovec]

Нет парень этот дивизион живее всех живых есть мишель перейра и майкл моралес, очень много засидевшихся стариков в дивизионе их надо заставить уйти!

[@viktorcheng2061]

There’s a reason why Shavkat is the only fighter Chimaev apologized to

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

@@viktorcheng2061Because Chechens and Dagistanis respect Kazakhs. They used to look down on Kazakhs back in the Soviet Union times but now cannot say shit. It’s mutual respect now.

[@stevencorey143]

Thompson had like 6 seconds left in the round.. Thompson knew that the third round was gonna be the same ass whipping. So Thompson gave the submission tap instead of holding out the last 6 seconds (which as tough he is, he could have held out).. I feel like that part is important to the story. Thompson was more willing to be submitted for the first time in his UFC career rather than try to out last Rahkmonov for another 5 minutes... Legendary win

[@ernar8926]

No, Stephen done when time was 0:09. Shavkat little switched technique and WB couldn't keep

[@xavierdaniels9023]

I agree with you. He knew there was nothing he could do. Of course all respect to Wonderboy he's a real one for taking the fight

[@michael95621]

I'm going to need a source on this one or I'm calling it Chael making something up to drum up interest in Shavkat. If I had to guess if Chael can get Shavkat to jump Belal for a title shot, than Colby is going to call out Belal instead of Wonderboy. Shavkat not only didn't get touched much in that fight which was a huge improvement over his last fight where he ate some big shots, he took Wonderboy down and subbed him easily with seconds left on the clock. I know Wonderboy isn't a grappler but he knows defense and is tough, so whatever Shavkat did to secure that choke as time ran out was impressive. You can't call a guy who is undefeated with all finishes against top guys now bad.

[@williamduncan3805]

Correction, it has happened in Boxing Beterbiev is 19-0 with 19 K.Os, Wilder had 42 K.Os in 43 wins at 43-2-1, Mike Tyson's first 19 were KO. Julio Ceasar Chavez went 81 fights before his first blemish with multiple double digit KO streaks. Other than that I agree with you 100 percent

[@Elwin_MMA]

I think it's badass to find out shavkat dominated with one leg. He's willing to get in there risking it all and dominate with only his grappling.

[@beckamodeo9045]

i have never been more proud to be a central asian. the man is winning at life and is a damn silent killer. he doesn't chirp in the press conferences, he doesn't brag about wins, he doesn't bite off more than he can chew, the man just wins and I really hope there aren't steroids at play because this is the most proud of my part of the world I have ever been.

[@ernar8926]

🇰🇿🇰🇿🇰🇿

[@user-cj9yq8dt5k]

Из какой ты страны

[@eldaryerzhanov8895]

What steroids, look at his body and muscles. There is 0 steroids.

[@henrycordero8265]

Hell yeah dude!!

[@AQBPlays]

That’s not how that works

[@sannatosan]

He didn’t reveal his injury afterwards either. It was Henry, the coach.

[@user-sb7wu9kz4o]

Люди не видят на перед. Рахман это милосердие. Шавкат оставил Стивену здоровье и не нанес травм, что позволило Чудомальчику остаться 6м в рейтинге и вновь дает возможность увидеть в скором времени его яркие бои в топ 10 даже в 40 лет и возможно больше! Не мечем, но милосердием. Бой двух техничных мастеров не должен был стать кровавым побоищем, это искусство войны…

[@aminaa.6044]

💯👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@adrenalineunlimited]

I haven't heard that at all. If that's the Colby we can expect moving forward, Shavkat is the best guy in the division.

[@adammendola195]

The record for consecutive KO's is 44 by Lamar Clark (USA) (b. 1 Dec 1934) from 1958 to 11 January 1960. He knocked out six in one night (five in the first round) at Bingham, Utah, USA on 1 December 1958. Wilfredo Gomez was 32-0 with 32 knockouts which is the longest knockout streak for a champion. There are many more boxers with 18+ consecutive knockout streaks. Agree though that Shavkat is a beast and that fight was great.

[@skinking2252]

Mugabi 26-0 (26KO) before fighting Hagler

[@user-yc5fn5ic9r]

Chael, we like to see your analysis. You tell us things, which only fighters really understand. And now due to you, as fans of MMA, we begin to understand these things too. Chael, thank you.

[@Man_Ray78]

I heard it was his coach who came out and was talking about Shawkats ankle, probably in response to that why he did not strike with him. He has 10 submissions and 8 ko's. That is as well all-rounded as it gets. I don't think he would be the guy that would smear it to Wonderboys face that he had a bad ankle. Let's blame it on the coach so we can still think about him as this honorable future champ.

[@albertcoia184]

Yes sir. Why Shavkat hasn't been getting more promotion is beyond me. Since his first UFC win in Abu Dhabi it's been hard not to be amazed by the guy.

[@mattcrad8605]

Rakhmonov was THE standout of the evening in my opinion. Love how nonchalant he was about it all.

[@kahutara818]

100% finish rate really is amazing. Give him the next shot... And Garry vs Belal..

[@jasont7814]

Hopefully Shavkat gets the next shot. Belal can be the back up, again.

[@tonyflamingosucks6590]

I don’t even like Belal but come on he deserves it. We need to get it out of the way already, it’s a sport it shouldn’t be a popularity contest. Besides, Shavkat is injured and needs surgery. Why couldn’t we do Belal vs Leon in April or may (since Leon took no damage Saturday). Gilbert Burns vs Colby, and Usman vs Shavkat. Whoever wins that fight could take on the champ, and let Gilbert have a chance at #1 contendership

[@jasont7814]

@@tonyflamingosucks6590 it’s not that simple. It’s a business, and Belal doesn’t sell fights. He has a very boring style.

[@DarkCloudNC]

He would finish Leon

[@claudemaggard7162]

He is the first person to submit wonderboy ever.

[@tomsam5502]

Shavkat might have loopholes in his defense, he surely still needs to improve, but he has one thing most fighters don't have and it's the inner strength, titanium core. He somehow manages to finish his opponents everytime, and it's because of his strong character.

[@ShinzoUchihaX]

Did you deduct that from his flawless record and 100% win/finish streak?

[@star-jf9yx]

Инстинкт убийцы у него просто

[@ernar8926]

His mindset and heart are his biggest weapons

[@tomcat9112]

i think that the story of the ankle came out because Rakhmanov was criticized for not making more a standing fight. Some felt it was a boring fight. So this is when, to defend himself and explain what happened, he gave the information on the ankle ... and therefore why he really aimed at taking Wonderboy down. Rakhmanov seems to have a top notch ethics and respect in general.

[@chrisjbarton]

God, I would love to see him at 100% than! Unstoppable

[@minteherms6784]

Rakhmonov did go in that fight with a serious injury at his ankle. He is now getting surgery. And he could not kick and i imagine that the foot work was difficult also. So he did the wright thing!!!

[@user-mm3um7wf7q]

Shafhat is descendant of ancient nomad warriors, saka massagetians (with their queen Timoris). Ancient Greeks called them "the scythians" who ride on horseback, drink horse milk, eat horse meat. Strabo and Herodotus wrote it🪔📜📚

[@qwertystyle2137]

Now all these shouts against him do not matter. Believe me, when he becomes a champion with a perfect record, everyone will forget everything that happened before.

[@EchoSoundsystem]

Shavkat is a beast. Love Leon and respect his skills. But thats a tough night out

[@Bboymaniac1]

I usually complain about wrestlers being leg humpers, but shavkat is far from that. He showed fight iq knowing that he didnt want to stand toe to toe with a great striker so he used Thompsons weakness in the grappling, & he went for a finish didnt try to rack up points with soft punches on the ground

[@kev30631]

Yes I agree. His past performance against Neal was not leg humping. That's was all striking.

[@clarksonbryan4595]

first round and 4 minutes of the 2nd was just leg humping

[@AidarSyrymbet]

for your information, Shavkat went into battle with an injury

[@Bboymaniac1]

@@kev30631 100%, I’m not saying he’s a pure wrestler all the time. As of recent people say he’s a great kickboxer, but he’s just well rounded everywhere. Just this one fight I read everywhere he was leg humping

[@stockchartart1147]

Shavkat will be champ in 1-2 fights

[@tacotom3492]

After watching bunch of his fights last night, this dude is dangerous.. He'll be champion soon

[@squadabingo9113]

Wow. What a daring prediction

[@ernar8926]

Only option is Leon or Belal. I bet Colby never accept this fight

[@AidarSyrymbet]

​@@tacotom3492Buddy, look at all his fights, I'm sure you'll be impressed

[@nithin7874]

colby called out wb lol . Bro wants no smoke with this guy@@ernar8926

[@glenngamboa9224]

I mentioned about Shavkat before he is a Champion Fighter

[@aminaa.6044]

Отличный разбор! Респект!❤ Шавкат выступал с травмой ноги. Любой другой боец снялся бы с боя. Тот мексиканец в сентябре из-за царапины на носу отказался от боя. Из-за этого Шавкату пришлось дважды быть в лагере для подготовки. Так что учитывая травму, Шавкат очень аккуратно и чётко выполнил свою работу досрочно. Шавкат это новый уровень в UFC, без лишних слов и лишних понтов и грязного хайпа досрочно одолевает всех соперников. Красавчик одним словом!

[@robperez5444]

Those people like Shavkat, they bred as warriors and that's why it didn't even occur to him to pull out of the fight. When Sanko asked him about ankle wraps, he just mentioned that he had a bad ankle injury prior to the fight and he couldn't kick, but he never complained about the injury.

[@ColinsCountry]

Correction: Mike Tyson’s first 19 pro fights were all victories via either TKO or KO with only 1 being an RTD (boxer quitting between rounds). After that 19 fight streak, he had 2 UD victories and then went on a 7 fight TKO/KO streak.

[@louisannunziata4138]

Shavkat’s other commodity is his rizz on Laura sanko

[@dunamis8639]

Everything this guy touches turns into gold😂. I love the way he articulates things 😂😂

[@gabrielvee1281]

I’m glad someone spoke on this , thought I was the only one thinking it when he beat wonder boy In that fashion to make 18-0

[@STILLSLAPSPRODUCTIONS]

I think fans wanted more violence out of that fight and since they didn't get it the blame automatically falls on the nightmare that is Shavkat. Very unfair to blame him just because he fought a different fight. Still finished Wonderboy the veteran, crazy run this man is on.

[@noneatallatanytime]

I thought he lost the first round but the way he slowly and methodically found a submission was really impressive.

[@rickraw100]

I heard he had a ankle injury but didn't want to cancel the fight , that's why he didn't kick.

[@AidarSyrymbet]

all in fact, it was so

[@Gr0und3dFlygon]

Thanks for the vid, you put Shavkhat and his situation more into perspective for me.

[@pistolpeterson9914]

thats my man!!!! ive been calling for him to get a title shot since his 3rd finish in the UFC....LETS GO hes my favorite fighter right now

[@cameronscott6044]

I thought Shavkat looked like he was 4 steps ahead of Wonderboy. It was the most impressive and surgical dominance of a top fighter I've ever seen. He is truly the 170 champion. They could've given him the belt in his first UFC fight and he'd still be the champion. There is not a more complete fighter in the world.

[@zachariah2014]

And all of that is why Colby is scared to fight Shavkhat and decided to get ahead of it and called out the guy Shavkhat just beat.

[@fahadus]

6:26 Artur Beterbiev is 19/0, 19 KOs. But yeah, if someone is missing out on Shavkat's fights, they're missing out on a major historical unveiling!

[@nothingisoriginal400]

i thought i was the only one that knew chael tells some of the cutest lies know to man lol!

[@RandomGuy-df1oy]

its much easier to have that record in boxing

[@fahadus]

@@RandomGuy-df1oy What? I'm taking nothing away from Shavkat, but what Artur is doing is insane too!

[@ssq903]

Artur is a great fighter.But,anyway MMA is not boxing,bro

[@kylerconnell840]

It was unsettling how calm and confident Shavkat walked down Wonderboy. He's an amazingly talented fighter with an excellent mind for combat

[@DevilDogMartialArts-]

People who say a fighter doesn’t look good are usually people who don’t know much about mma and just want to see people crack skulls. People who know what’s going on against the cage or on the ground rarely seem to have this criticism. It’s the same for Leon Edwards. People criticize his fighting style because it’s defensively oriented and not flashy, but that is good technical fighting. When I think of bad fights I think of namajunas vs Esparza or Lewis vs ngannou. But shavkat has never had a bad fight. Even when he lost as an amateur he had good fights. I think people will end up talking about him eventually. The people who follow mma already knew his name and he’s just getting the fights where people will start to pay attention. Not that magny and Neal aren’t great fighters, but they don’t have wonderboy’s name recognition. I think shavkat’s top 5 fights ahead of him will really tell people who he is

[@JamesWalker-gj2wc]

Chael the reason why he's not getting pres is because sports writers are similar to you, they can't pronounce names and don't want to talk about ppl that your fans barely talk about. He's a great fighter and has had to sit in the background because UFC chose to promote everyone else instead of him. Writer's won't promote what the promotion hasn't promoted in about 3 years. Shavkat has been around all this time with little to no spotlight... promoting is on 2 entities prior to reporters. It's on the fighters themselves which usually suck at promoting but most of all, it's on the PROMOTION. We talk all this noise about why this and why that, can we at least admit the promotion is primarily responsible for promoting fighters... it's literally in the name🤷

[@jack-yi1sy]

I immediately thought of anthony joshua because of how boxing operates and how his athleticism compares to the average heavyweight boxer and sure enough joshua went 20-0 all finishes in a row without a decision win or loss. there's probably actually a ton of boxers that have done this, but the flip side of that is joshua probably stomped 15, 16, or even 17 tin cans in that 20 streak

[@spartacus1414]

Yeah chael should just talk about UFC

[@dewaynegreer2262]

Tyson went 19-0 all KO's to start his career as well. I like Chael but have to fact check his boxing commentary sometimes.

[@user-cf1vi5wf3u]

Алга Казахстан Алга Шавкат!

[@SergioMendoza760]

See this is how I know the cards are just truly stacked against Belal. Dude has done basically everything right (besides captivate the fans which isn’t even something I think you can fully hold against him) and Rhakmonov still might legitimately take his title shot and #1 contender spot. I didn’t even realize until just now when Chael said “why wasn’t Belal confirmed to be next for Leon” that the face off between Belal and Leon DIDNT happen at the end of the event for 296 and it’s probably because Rhakmonov won lol. I kinda feel bad for Belal because Rhakmonov doesn’t even speak English and it wouldnt surprise me for a second if he got the title shot before Belal. Tough for Belal but idk what else he can do besides try and get a bout agreement from the ufc and sign it ASAP.

[@vitoandolini2064]

the point is that we all know that giving a title shot to Belal doesnt make an intrigue. I'm sure both Leon and Shavkat will defeat Belal with no problem. But Leon vs Shavkat is the bout where nobody can predict the result.

[@SergioMendoza760]

@@vitoandolini2064 true and I completely agree with that take. I just think it’s crazy how no matter what Belal does he loses lol. The guy must’ve been cursed in a previous life or something.

[@kennethchrzanowski6165]

In 2026, when Shavkat moves up to middle weight to attempt champ-champ status against Bo it will be the greatest MMA contest of all time.

[@Blueicyyy]

He will need to pack on a lot of muscle for 185, he is much smaller when it comes to frame size than 185ers

[@ernar8926]

Who is Bo

[@alash6226]

@@ernar8926Бо Никал боец юфс категории 185

[@iskanderpaulinski5919]

Unique fighter.

[@Aibek_k]

Shavkat champion!!! 🇰🇿🇰🇿🇰🇿

[@orionsage7314]

Man, I'd love to see Shavkat dismantle Ian Garry.

[@craigdobson9068]

I've been a huge Wonderboy fan since his full contact karate days and I was sad to see him take a loss against Shavkat but I was rooting for Shavkat to win because I want him to smash up Ian Garry

[@ThomasRe-lh9pn]

hell, i wish him to sleep leon edwards.

[@DogmenHardcastle]

I was already super hyped on Shavkat and he is my favourite active fighter, but Chael just elevated even my fanboyism.

[@luckypanda998]

Shavkat Top!

[@aliskandardaniel5413]

Shavkat Rakhmanov vs Khamzat Chimaez will be a master school to watch in the future.

[@gummmybeer7766]

shavkat , to me the best current active fighter

[@akaTheDevil]

Remember Stephen also trained really hard to not be taken down and he wasn't able to defend it.

[@alexcaesar777]

Mr Sonnen you are indeed a fair unbiased man ,thank you.

[@TheCrimsonOne508]

I really hope he continues to dominate. He’s incredibly fun to watch and he seems like a good dude. If Shavkat is Leon’s next opponent I don’t know how Leon stops him, even though Leon is an incredible fighter

[@lebronisadork3218]

CHAEL CONTINUES TO PUT US ON KNOWLEDGE UNDISPUTED GOAT OF MMA

[@williammoore1980]

Leon’s already saying he’s “not interested”. Wonder what that means…

[@jasonwebb6484]

Michael Prazeres was like 26-3 when he got stopped by Shavkat, Carlton Harris was 17-4? Never heard of Alex Cowboy Oliveira (he’s fought Kevin Holland, Mike Perry, Gunnar Nelson, Carlos Condit, Gilbert Burns)? Has Shavkat fought 17 Hall of Famers? No. But not exactly 14 bums and the 3 guys you’ve heard of.

[@aibaltanytastama7052]

When Shavkat takes the belt, you and others like you will claim from all sides that this happened because Shavkat had 14 homeless opponents, and the rest were famous bags!

[@crazypato3752]

Islam pulled out of a fight against Prazeres back in 2016/2017

[@ernar8926]

His preufc resume is much better than others

[@user-yj4ng7tf9y]

Спасибо за трезвую и обьективную аналитику господин Чейл. Особенно ценно услышать ее от одного из самых сильных бойцев и члена зала славы. Спасибо🤝

[@gasparsmusic]

he is coming for the belt.

[@leebosworth5828]

Glad someone is highlighting Shav. Madness how he’s not even had a main event make him headline a fight night be the final one to walk and then put him in for the title.

[@cgcmma]

I loved this take. Just to add to it, here are some facts. Wonderboy has now lost 7 fights in his MMA career, of which 2 of them he was finished. Anthony Pettis did it via TKO and Rakhmonov did it via Submission. Wonderboy is now 40 years old and he is a top 10 welterweight in the division. He is also performing at a high level. Then you talk about 18 finishes in 18 fights. A finish at this level, vs a top 5 or top 10 opponent is impressive, especially against Wonderboy. I mean a finish is a finish, whether he did it on one leg or ten, it's still a finish. That performance was as great as any in terms of technique and skill level exhibited by Rakhmonov. End of story.

[@theamericanextremist]

Shavkat V Belal is the fight to make for a shot at the belt. No way Leon fights again until the fall

[@adrenalineunlimited]

Lebron won 27 in a row in Miami at one point. 2nd longest single season win streak in history. Only team that did more was the 71 Lakers, with Wilt and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

[@blackout2430]

As a basketball maniac this segment drove me absolutely insane

[@adrenalineunlimited]

@@blackout2430 Chael gets me almost every time he starts talking about basketball. When he keeps it vague enough to stay a metaphor and make his point it's fine, but once he starts offering up details it gets rough.

[@squadabingo9113]

Basketball is rigged. Get over it

[@blackout2430]

@@adrenalineunlimited so much for undefeated 😂

[@blackout2430]

@@squadabingo9113 welcome to pro sports. Congratulations for waking up to the zeitgeist kid

[@ChocolateMilkCultLeader]

Triple G (also Kazakh) had an insane finish streak

[@andrewbrown8927]

He said he was hurt because he thought taking him down was boring. He wanted people to know he wanted to beat him on the feet.

[@dangacore]

The Shavkat v Neal fight was one of the craziest fights I've ever seen.

[@ulunya5029]

Thank you Mister Sonnen for promoting our star❤🇰🇿

[@steely10]

Rakhmanov is awesome, near future champ. The only issue could be is that he does get hit -- it hasn't bothered him yet, and his aggressive style has costs -- so if he faces Leon could that slow him? Lebron won something like 26 games in a row once with the Heat, maybe ten years ago. I know this is an irritating correction, and doesn't change the point

[@magicmanwa917]

Wonder boy looked 10/10 unfortunately Shavkat didn’t give him the respect to have a standing match like with Neal. It could’ve been one of the coolest striking displays we’ve ever seen and maybe our last time seeing a sharp wonder boy .

[@williammoore6953]

Rakhmanov is an irresistible force. I disagree about the fighters hiding injuries. I would be willing to bet that every fighter is nursing something on fight night. Athletes train so hard that injuries, to some degree, are a part of daily life. Fighters at that level has to push so very hard, injuries are de rigueur.

[@benrackauskas4115]

The rhetorical question segment….. 😂😂😂 Chael needs to do a standup special 😂 im in tears. But he’s so right😂

[@Ryan-np4tx]

Rokhmonov is the best fighter in the world right now he is a brutal beast. Very very dangerous

[@Damnedone667]

Edwin Valero (boxer) was 27-0 (27 knockouts) when he died, I believe his first 18 fights ended by k.o. in the 1st round.

[@user-vu3nn8lt4d]

Competition was he world champion,what about his opposition?UFC is highest level be undefeated and with finish rate is rare that why Chael compere with greats.