Shavkat Rakhmonov was in control throughout his victory against Neil Magny in the UFC on ESPN 38 co-main event.
However, the Kazakhstan native was nonetheless a little bit surprised when Magny tapped to a guillotine choke at the 4:58 mark of Round 2 in their welterweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Rakhmonov spent the majority of the bout in top position, working to advance while landing ground-and-pound from above, but he was patient in his approach.
“Neil is a good opponent,” Rakhmonov said through a translator at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “That’s why I wasn’t forcing the action. I wasn’t rushing. Just was waiting for him to make a mistake and to catch him.”
When the chance for a finish arrived, Rakhmonov seized the opportunity.
“I had a good grip [on the guillotine choke]. I was confident in it,” he said. “But since it was so little time left, I was expecting Neil to defend it. But maybe after two rounds of beating he didn’t want to continue. Usually with this grip, I need seven or eight seconds to put someone to sleep.”
That victory gives Rakhmonov 16 finishes in as many professional appearances and four triumphs within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The man known as “Nomad” believes he is ready to face a more high-profile opponent in his next outing.
“As always, I’m not going to rush,” Rakhmonov said. “I’m going to take my time, rest and assess everything with my team but the names I want to face are Stephen Thompson, Nick Diaz, [Jorge] Masvidal. Let’s go.”
Regardless of what the immediate future holds, Rakhmonov has championship gold in his sights. It’s simply a matter of how long it takes him to reach that goal.
“I’m very happy to make my country proud. I beat a Top 10 guy,” he said. “Step by step we’re going to get the title.”
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