LAS VEGAS – To illustrate just how quickly Shavkat Rakhmonov has ascended the welterweight ladder, we need look no further than his betting line history.
When Rakhmonov made his promotional debut at UFC 254 a little more than three years ago as a 12-0 champ from M-1 Global, he was just a -140 favorite against Alex Oliveira. He won with a first-round submission. Against Michel Prazeres, who was 26-3 at the time, he moved to a 3-1 favorite. And he was about the same against Carlston Harris, whom he made victim of his first post-fight bonus with a sensational spinning hook kick.
Then at 3-0 in the UFC with wins over Oliveira, Prazeres and Harris, Rakhmonov was matched up with longtime welterweight contender Neil Magny. And while those three are solid, no doubt, Magny’s name and consistent top 15 ranking carried with it a little more cache.
