Belal Muhammad might be feeling fairly good about his possibilities towards Shavkat Rakhmonov after seeing ‘Nomad’ go 5 rounds at UFC 310.
Whereas Rakhmonov scored his nineteenth profession win within the night’s co-main occasion, his conflict with Ian Machado Garry left lots to be desired. Rakhmonov largely dominated the motion towards the fence and logged almost 12 minutes of management time en path to a unanimous determination victory, but it surely was the primary time that the Kazakh regarded human since UFC followers turned acquainted with him in 2020.
Trying again on Saturday’s scrap throughout an look on Michael Bisping’s Imagine You Me podcast, Paul Felder thinks the reigning welterweight world champion in all probability acquired an enormous enhance of confidence after seeing how the title eliminator between Rakhmonov and Garry performed out in Las Vegas.
“I feel if you happen to’re Belal, you’re fairly pleased with both a kind of guys profitable, proper? I imply, they spent a variety of time within the clinch,” Felder mentioned. “There have been a variety of moments of inactivity, whereas a man like Belal Muhammad goes to be relentless in these positions—towards the fence, with the takedown makes an attempt.
“Now, I do know Shavkat doubtlessly had a reasonably dangerous knee harm that he was coping with. How badly that affected him, we are able to’t actually know, however he did look a little bit off to me. However I’m telling you, if I’m the champ, I’m excited for the following matchup with him. I feel a variety of occasions we see when these guys are so scary and get all these finishes, as soon as any individual reveals a little bit little bit of weak spot in them—reveals that there’s an opportunity to beat them—different guys are very excited on the alternative. So, I’m excited to see that struggle occur.”
Rakhmonov reportedly went into UFC 310 with a pre-existing harm
With the win, Rakhmonov is anticipated to be the primary man to problem Muhammad after ‘Keep in mind The Title’ scored a decisive determination win over ex-champion Leon Edwards earlier this yr in Manchester. Initially, Muhammad had hoped to defend his title at UFC 310, however a bone an infection in his foot pressured him to bow out of the bout.
In keeping with Daniel Cormier, Rakhmonov tore his MCL forward of the struggle with Garry which might clarify why ‘Nomad’ selected to take a extra measured strategy towards Garry.
“If I’m Belal Muhammad, I’m really type of completely happy watching this struggle tonight as a result of Shavkat Rakhmonov didn’t seem like himself despite the fact that I discovered after that he had an harm,” Cormier mentioned in a video on his YouTube channel. “I feel he may need tore his MCL going into the struggle. Granted, with a torn ligament in your knee you’re not going to seem like the killer that you just regarded like in fights prior.”
No particulars have been revealed concerning the extent of the harm or how lengthy it might put Rakhmonov on the shelf, however he’s anticipated to endure an MRI this week.
