Two top-10 Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweights went public about a huge fight to end the year.
On social media, Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) posted on Friday that the organization offered him a fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0), and that he had accepted it. Minutes later, Rakhmonov replied, “Let’s go!” to signify his excitement about the prospective welterweight clash. If this bout is made official, according to Thompson, it will go down on Dec. 16 as part of UFC 296, which will take place in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The unbeaten Rakhmonov has been looking for an opponent since strangling Geoff Neal with a standing rear-naked choke in March. That victory put the top contender from Kazakhstan in prime position for a top-tier matchup, sporting a flawless record with all 17 victories inside the distance. Before meeting Neal, Rakhmonov wiped out Carlston Harris with a spinning wheel kick in early 2022, and he followed that by solving the puzzle that is Neil Magny by tapping the longtime vet with a guillotine choke. “Nomad” was linked to a bout with Kelvin Gastelum in September, but Gastelum was forced to withdraw when breaking bones in his face during training.
A fight for the 40-year-old “Wonderboy” would be his first in 2023. In his lone appearance in 2022, Thompson snapped a two-fight skid by busting up Kevin Holland en route to a fourth-round corner stoppage. Before the Holland headliner, the former welterweight title challenger fell short to top-ranked 170ers Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad in 2021. Of note, his finish of Holland marked his first stoppage victory since he put Johny Hendricks away in 2016.
UFC 296 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 16 to conclude the calendar year for the UFC. Atop the marquee, Leon Edwards will attempt to defend his welterweight throne against Colby Covington – and the UFC has the potential for a replacement option in Rakhmonov or Thompson should something happen to that fight. The co-headliner is also for a title, as champ Alexandre Pantoja runs it back with Brandon Royval in a potential all-action scrap.
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