Stephen Thompson Announces He's Accepted a Fight vs. Shavkhat Rakhmonov

This bout takes place in the Welterweight (170 lbs) division.

Shavkhat Rakhmonov holds an undefeated record of 17-0 (5-0 UFC) and is ranked #6 in the Welterweight division. He has credible wins over Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and Carlston Harris.

Stephen Thompson is ranked #7 in the Welterweight division and holds a professional MMA record of 17-6-1 (12-6-1 UFC), with credible wins over Kevin Holland, Jorge Masvidal, and Vicente Luque.

Official odds have yet to be released.

Shavkhat "Nomad" Rakhmonov has looked unstoppable during his five fights in the UFC. Rakhmonov has never seen the judges scorecards, finishing all of his fights inside the distance, with nine by submission and eight via KO/TKO. In his last bout, he submitted Geoff Neal in the third round with a standing rear naked choke, capping off an impressive performance and taking home the Fight of The Night bonus. He now looks to test himself against one of the UFC's most dangerous strikers.

Shavkhat Rakhmonov submitting Geoff Neal at UFC 285. Credits to: Chris Unger - Zuffa LLC.

Stephen Thompson is also coming off a Fight of The Night winner, upsetting Kevin Holland back in December 2022. Despite getting rocked early in the contest, Thompson would rally back and brutalize Holland in the fourth round before a corner stoppage at the end of the round, landing a myriad of spinning attacks on Holland, who sustained a broken hand in the first round. "Wonderboy" now looks to climb back into the top 5 of the division, and a win over Rakhmonov is his pathway into there.

Stephen Thompson striking with Kevin Holland in his last bout. Credits to: Nathan Ray Seebeck - USA TODAY Sports.

This fight has been brewing for some time now, and an official announcement from the UFC could be just days away. So, who do you have winning? As a member of the Verdict Community, give us your prediction in the comments below.