UFC News & FeaturesEditor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
Thanks to Sean Brady’s dominant performance over Leon Edwards on March 22 in London, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a good problem on its hands: There’s no clear No. 1 contender for the welterweight title. Heading into UFC Fight Night 255, the consensus was that Shavkat Rakhmonov was the next man up following the clash between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May. After all, the only reason Rakhmonov wasn’t fighting Muhammad at the upcoming event was due to injury. Unfortunately for Rakhmonov, nothing is guaranteed in this sport.
Advertisement
Rakhmonov climbed the welterweight rankings without much resistance, but the hype around him has somewhat fizzled. On paper, that doesn’t make any sense. His last three wins came over Top 10 mainstay Geoff Neal, two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson and fellow rising contender Ian Garry. He even managed to take a decision over Garry when many were concerned that he might not be able to win a meaningful fight without doing so via finish. What gives?
Intangibles are a part of it. Outside of his tymak—the hat he wears
to the cage and after his fights—there isn’t a lot that fans find
personable about Rakhmonov. The Kazakhstan native hasn’t developed
his English-speaking skills to the point where he can connect with
the public. I get where that sounds elitist, but it’s a genuine
concern from a business perspective. Beyond that, he didn’t look
like a 5-to-1 favorite over Neal or Thompson, nor did he fight like
a 4-to-1 favorite over Garry. I’m not saying it’s fair for him to
be punished for high expectations, but I don’t make the rules.
That’s just reality.
Part of that is due to the measured pace at which he fights. For someone who secured finishes in the first 18 bouts of his career, Rakhmonov has a very cautious approach. His style often relies on opponents making a mistake, and higher-level opponents tend not to make as many mistakes. Thus, rather than running through opposition with dominant rounds, Rakhmonov has often just skated by as he looks for the knockout or submission. The finishes have been solid but not so jaw-dropping that fans are forgetting how tedious the action has been prior to the climactic endings. His fight with Neal was a lot of fun, but it also was over two years ago. What sticks out is that the fight was closer than expected, which is also how the Thompson and Garry fights played out. In other words, the pattern is what is being noticed.
As for Brady, his last two wins saw him completely run over a former title contender in Gilbert Burns and a former champion in Edwards. Against Burns, Brady arguably pitched a shutout over five rounds, with two of the three judges scoring the contest in that manner. Against Edwards, there was no question Brady won the first three rounds before he secured the finish it in the fourth. In doing so, he became the first man ever to stop Edwards inside the distance.
The UFC did a solid job of marketing Brady for the contest, as well. The story of his accepting the fight with roughly a month’s notice following the birth of his first child is a connection to which a lot of people can relate. The fact that it required him to travel across the ocean to fight in Edwards’ backyard only adds to the impressiveness of Brady’s accomplishment. Brady then showed a bit of fire in the post-fight interview, which is something he needed to do in order to further the momentum his performance created. Sure, he could have done more with the interview—like call out someone specific—but showing fire is a start. Regardless, he connected more with the audience than Rakhmonov has been able to do via a translator.
While Brady appears to have the momentum, it may not matter given the identity of the man who took his zero in the loss column: Muhammad, the reigning welterweight champion. It isn’t just that he lost to Muhammad; he was thoroughly outclassed and finished. There may not be enough time or fights in between his loss to Muhammad in October 2022 to overcome the idea that the champion already disposed of Brady, at least not while there’s another viable contender like Rakhmonov in the mix.
However, if Della Maddalena emerges victorious at UFC 315, Brady may have a new lease on his title aspirations without needing to do any further work. The UFC doesn’t appear to be thrilled at the prospect of Rakhmonov being a potential champion, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to envision the company promoting Brady ahead of the “Nomad” based on his complete domination of Edwards—someone who was wearing championship gold less than a year ago. Rakhmonov and his camp may have been assured they have next, but it would hardly be the first time the UFC has reneged on such a promise.
It doesn’t help Rakhmonov’s case that Garry hasn’t returned to the cage since their encounter. If Garry could score an impressive win in the interim, it improves Rakhmonov’s strength of schedule, as well as his argument for a title shot. By the time Garry fights again, it may be too late for Rakhmonov to make a stronger case. Perhaps that won’t matter, but Rakhmonov’s team better be aware of every potential argument they can make given that he is losing steam.
There’s a lot that needs to happen before the UFC makes a decision between Brady and Rakhmonov, but both would be wise to figure out ways to present themselves as more marketable commodities. The UFC is a business, first and foremost, and if the powers that be believe one challenger will make them more money than the other, you best believe they’d be willing to go back on their word or select someone who may be viewed as a less-deserving fighter. I have no dog in this fight. I believe it all hinges on the outcome of Muhammad-Della Maddalena. Regardless, Brady’s dominant performance over Edwards created a controversy most didn’t see coming, and I’m all for it.
More
