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Former UFC star Chael Sonnen has played the role of matchmaker Sean Shelby for Shavkat Rakhmonov following the Kazakh’s latest triumph.
At UFC 285 this past weekend, Rakhmonov secured the biggest win of his promotional career to date. Having already extended his unbeaten record and maintained his 100% finishing rate with four victories inside the Octagon, the former M-1 Global champion surged into title contention at the T-Mobile Arena-held pay-per-view on March 4.
On the main card, which was topped by the heavyweight crowning of Jon Jones, Rakhmonov shared the cage with veteran contender Geoff Neal. After an intense 14-minute battle that saw both men stunned on the feet, “Nomad” continued his stoppage streak with a brutal standing choke.
Thanks to the win, Rakhmonov climbed three spots to #6 on the welterweight ladder. With that, most are calling for him to face a top-five contender next, with the name of former interim champion Colby Covington frequently coming up.
Sonnen, though, is not most.
Sonnen Pitches Unranked Prospect As Rakhmonov’s Next Foe
During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen assessed the next step for Rakhmonov on MMA’s biggest stage and addressed the common calls for the Kazakh national to share the Octagon with “Chaos.”
After admitting that matchmaking is the one combat sports role he wouldn’t feel comfortable in, Sonnen questioned calls for Rakhmonov vs. Covington, providing a case against a matchup widely viewed as intriguing.
“I feel as though you could call me, and I could tag in to any department within the sport… except for matchmaking. It’s hard. I don’t get it. I don’t fully understand it,” Sonnen said. “There’s talk right now of Rakhmonov versus Colby. Do you agree with it? Because I don’t… It doesn’t feel right.
“Putting Rakhmonov against Colby, for what? … Are we making it perfectly clear that (Khamzat) Chimaev is no longer in the weight class? That hasn’t been made clear. But we, the community, do agree that whatever Chimaev does next is a number one contender’s match… I only bring that up, because you’re talking about putting Rakhmonov versus Covington, which would have to be a number one contender’s match… Why else would Rakhmonov fight Colby?”
With that in mind, Sonnen plucked out a new name — one that the comments section seemingly took as some evidence for Sonnen’s matchmaking admission…
“Ian Garry. In my opinion, it should be Ian Garry versus Rakhmonov,” Sonnen stated. “I don’t love the idea of ‘bringing someone along.’ … ‘I am going to build him. I’m going to bring him along.’ … Like who? You’re gonna build him like you did who?
“You have these guys that are doing a great job, they’re undefeated, but we’re gonna save them, we’re gonna put them on the side. ‘I’ve got Rakhmonov and I’ve got Ian Garry here. The whole audience wants to see Ian Garry fight Rakhmonov. I’m gonna put them on the same card, but I’m not gonna have them fight each other.’ I just sit back and go, why?” Sonnen added.
Like Rakhmonov, Garry emerged victorious this past weekend at UFC 285. But while the Kazakh contender had his hand raised on the main card, just one fight before the pair of title fights that topped the bill, the Irishman closed out the early prelims.
In another similarity, though, “The Future” extended his unblemished professional record with a third-round finish, stopping opponent Kenan Song with strikes.
Despite the gap between the pair on the ladder, with Garry yet to boast a number next to his name, Sonnen seemingly believes their ages and similarly perfect records make the matchup warranted.
“You have them both there, have them fight each other,” Sonnen stated. “I’m pulling Ian Garry out of thin air. How many guys are we going to give him and keep him undefeated… before we test it? Why do we not test it? Why don’t we want to know? … You’ve got a young guy with a hot record… Put him with another young guy with a hot record!”
We’ll let you decide if Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s jobs are under threat.
What do you make of Chael Sonnen’s Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry pitch?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Former UFC star Chael Sonnen has played the role of matchmaker Sean Shelby for Shavkat Rakhmonov following the Kazakh’s latest triumph.
At UFC 285 this past weekend, Rakhmonov secured the biggest win of his promotional career to date. Having already extended his unbeaten record and maintained his 100% finishing rate with four victories inside the Octagon, the former M-1 Global champion surged into title contention at the T-Mobile Arena-held pay-per-view on March 4.
On the main card, which was topped by the heavyweight crowning of Jon Jones, Rakhmonov shared the cage with veteran contender Geoff Neal. After an intense 14-minute battle that saw both men stunned on the feet, “Nomad” continued his stoppage streak with a brutal standing choke.
Thanks to the win, Rakhmonov climbed three spots to #6 on the welterweight ladder. With that, most are calling for him to face a top-five contender next, with the name of former interim champion Colby Covington frequently coming up.
Sonnen, though, is not most.
Sonnen Pitches Unranked Prospect As Rakhmonov’s Next Foe
During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen assessed the next step for Rakhmonov on MMA’s biggest stage and addressed the common calls for the Kazakh national to share the Octagon with “Chaos.”
After admitting that matchmaking is the one combat sports role he wouldn’t feel comfortable in, Sonnen questioned calls for Rakhmonov vs. Covington, providing a case against a matchup widely viewed as intriguing.
“I feel as though you could call me, and I could tag in to any department within the sport… except for matchmaking. It’s hard. I don’t get it. I don’t fully understand it,” Sonnen said. “There’s talk right now of Rakhmonov versus Colby. Do you agree with it? Because I don’t… It doesn’t feel right.
“Putting Rakhmonov against Colby, for what? … Are we making it perfectly clear that (Khamzat) Chimaev is no longer in the weight class? That hasn’t been made clear. But we, the community, do agree that whatever Chimaev does next is a number one contender’s match… I only bring that up, because you’re talking about putting Rakhmonov versus Covington, which would have to be a number one contender’s match… Why else would Rakhmonov fight Colby?”
With that in mind, Sonnen plucked out a new name — one that the comments section seemingly took as some evidence for Sonnen’s matchmaking admission…
“Ian Garry. In my opinion, it should be Ian Garry versus Rakhmonov,” Sonnen stated. “I don’t love the idea of ‘bringing someone along.’ … ‘I am going to build him. I’m going to bring him along.’ … Like who? You’re gonna build him like you did who?
“You have these guys that are doing a great job, they’re undefeated, but we’re gonna save them, we’re gonna put them on the side. ‘I’ve got Rakhmonov and I’ve got Ian Garry here. The whole audience wants to see Ian Garry fight Rakhmonov. I’m gonna put them on the same card, but I’m not gonna have them fight each other.’ I just sit back and go, why?” Sonnen added.
Like Rakhmonov, Garry emerged victorious this past weekend at UFC 285. But while the Kazakh contender had his hand raised on the main card, just one fight before the pair of title fights that topped the bill, the Irishman closed out the early prelims.
In another similarity, though, “The Future” extended his unblemished professional record with a third-round finish, stopping opponent Kenan Song with strikes.
Despite the gap between the pair on the ladder, with Garry yet to boast a number next to his name, Sonnen seemingly believes their ages and similarly perfect records make the matchup warranted.
“You have them both there, have them fight each other,” Sonnen stated. “I’m pulling Ian Garry out of thin air. How many guys are we going to give him and keep him undefeated… before we test it? Why do we not test it? Why don’t we want to know? … You’ve got a young guy with a hot record… Put him with another young guy with a hot record!”
We’ll let you decide if Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s jobs are under threat.
What do you make of Chael Sonnen’s Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry pitch?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
At UFC 285 this past weekend, Rakhmonov secured the biggest win of his promotional career to date. Having already extended his unbeaten record and maintained his 100% finishing rate with four victories inside the Octagon, the former M-1 Global champion surged into title contention at the T-Mobile Arena-held pay-per-view on March 4.
On the main card, which was topped by the heavyweight crowning of Jon Jones, Rakhmonov shared the cage with veteran contender Geoff Neal. After an intense 14-minute battle that saw both men stunned on the feet, “Nomad” continued his stoppage streak with a brutal standing choke.
Thanks to the win, Rakhmonov climbed three spots to #6 on the welterweight ladder. With that, most are calling for him to face a top-five contender next, with the name of former interim champion Colby Covington frequently coming up.
Sonnen, though, is not most.
Sonnen Pitches Unranked Prospect As Rakhmonov’s Next Foe
During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen assessed the next step for Rakhmonov on MMA’s biggest stage and addressed the common calls for the Kazakh national to share the Octagon with “Chaos.”
After admitting that matchmaking is the one combat sports role he wouldn’t feel comfortable in, Sonnen questioned calls for Rakhmonov vs. Covington, providing a case against a matchup widely viewed as intriguing.
“I feel as though you could call me, and I could tag in to any department within the sport… except for matchmaking. It’s hard. I don’t get it. I don’t fully understand it,” Sonnen said. “There’s talk right now of Rakhmonov versus Colby. Do you agree with it? Because I don’t… It doesn’t feel right.
“Putting Rakhmonov against Colby, for what? … Are we making it perfectly clear that (Khamzat) Chimaev is no longer in the weight class? That hasn’t been made clear. But we, the community, do agree that whatever Chimaev does next is a number one contender’s match… I only bring that up, because you’re talking about putting Rakhmonov versus Covington, which would have to be a number one contender’s match… Why else would Rakhmonov fight Colby?”
With that in mind, Sonnen plucked out a new name — one that the comments section seemingly took as some evidence for Sonnen’s matchmaking admission…
“Ian Garry. In my opinion, it should be Ian Garry versus Rakhmonov,” Sonnen stated. “I don’t love the idea of ‘bringing someone along.’ … ‘I am going to build him. I’m going to bring him along.’ … Like who? You’re gonna build him like you did who?
“You have these guys that are doing a great job, they’re undefeated, but we’re gonna save them, we’re gonna put them on the side. ‘I’ve got Rakhmonov and I’ve got Ian Garry here. The whole audience wants to see Ian Garry fight Rakhmonov. I’m gonna put them on the same card, but I’m not gonna have them fight each other.’ I just sit back and go, why?” Sonnen added.
Like Rakhmonov, Garry emerged victorious this past weekend at UFC 285. But while the Kazakh contender had his hand raised on the main card, just one fight before the pair of title fights that topped the bill, the Irishman closed out the early prelims.
In another similarity, though, “The Future” extended his unblemished professional record with a third-round finish, stopping opponent Kenan Song with strikes.
Despite the gap between the pair on the ladder, with Garry yet to boast a number next to his name, Sonnen seemingly believes their ages and similarly perfect records make the matchup warranted.
“You have them both there, have them fight each other,” Sonnen stated. “I’m pulling Ian Garry out of thin air. How many guys are we going to give him and keep him undefeated… before we test it? Why do we not test it? Why don’t we want to know? … You’ve got a young guy with a hot record… Put him with another young guy with a hot record!”
We’ll let you decide if Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s jobs are under threat.
What do you make of Chael Sonnen’s Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry pitch?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
At UFC 285 this past weekend, Rakhmonov secured the biggest win of his promotional career to date. Having already extended his unbeaten record and maintained his 100% finishing rate with four victories inside the Octagon, the former M-1 Global champion surged into title contention at the T-Mobile Arena-held pay-per-view on March 4.
On the main card, which was topped by the heavyweight crowning of Jon Jones, Rakhmonov shared the cage with veteran contender Geoff Neal. After an intense 14-minute battle that saw both men stunned on the feet, “Nomad” continued his stoppage streak with a brutal standing choke.
Thanks to the win, Rakhmonov climbed three spots to #6 on the welterweight ladder. With that, most are calling for him to face a top-five contender next, with the name of former interim champion Colby Covington frequently coming up.
Sonnen, though, is not most.
Sonnen Pitches Unranked Prospect As Rakhmonov’s Next Foe
During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen assessed the next step for Rakhmonov on MMA’s biggest stage and addressed the common calls for the Kazakh national to share the Octagon with “Chaos.”
After admitting that matchmaking is the one combat sports role he wouldn’t feel comfortable in, Sonnen questioned calls for Rakhmonov vs. Covington, providing a case against a matchup widely viewed as intriguing.
“I feel as though you could call me, and I could tag in to any department within the sport… except for matchmaking. It’s hard. I don’t get it. I don’t fully understand it,” Sonnen said. “There’s talk right now of Rakhmonov versus Colby. Do you agree with it? Because I don’t… It doesn’t feel right.
“Putting Rakhmonov against Colby, for what? … Are we making it perfectly clear that (Khamzat) Chimaev is no longer in the weight class? That hasn’t been made clear. But we, the community, do agree that whatever Chimaev does next is a number one contender’s match… I only bring that up, because you’re talking about putting Rakhmonov versus Covington, which would have to be a number one contender’s match… Why else would Rakhmonov fight Colby?”
With that in mind, Sonnen plucked out a new name — one that the comments section seemingly took as some evidence for Sonnen’s matchmaking admission…
“Ian Garry. In my opinion, it should be Ian Garry versus Rakhmonov,” Sonnen stated. “I don’t love the idea of ‘bringing someone along.’ … ‘I am going to build him. I’m going to bring him along.’ … Like who? You’re gonna build him like you did who?
“You have these guys that are doing a great job, they’re undefeated, but we’re gonna save them, we’re gonna put them on the side. ‘I’ve got Rakhmonov and I’ve got Ian Garry here. The whole audience wants to see Ian Garry fight Rakhmonov. I’m gonna put them on the same card, but I’m not gonna have them fight each other.’ I just sit back and go, why?” Sonnen added.
Like Rakhmonov, Garry emerged victorious this past weekend at UFC 285. But while the Kazakh contender had his hand raised on the main card, just one fight before the pair of title fights that topped the bill, the Irishman closed out the early prelims.
In another similarity, though, “The Future” extended his unblemished professional record with a third-round finish, stopping opponent Kenan Song with strikes.
Despite the gap between the pair on the ladder, with Garry yet to boast a number next to his name, Sonnen seemingly believes their ages and similarly perfect records make the matchup warranted.
“You have them both there, have them fight each other,” Sonnen stated. “I’m pulling Ian Garry out of thin air. How many guys are we going to give him and keep him undefeated… before we test it? Why do we not test it? Why don’t we want to know? … You’ve got a young guy with a hot record… Put him with another young guy with a hot record!”
We’ll let you decide if Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s jobs are under threat.
What do you make of Chael Sonnen’s Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry pitch?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
