UFC 296 is set to feature a welterweight matchup between Stephen Thompson and Shavkat Rakhmonov, with Thompson confirming his acceptance of the UFC offer and Rakhmonov eagerly agreeing to the bout.
UFC 296 is set to feature a welterweight battle between Stephen Thompson and Shavkat Rakhmonov, provided that the fighters themselves have any say in the matter. On a recent Friday, Thompson publicly announced that he’d agreed to an offer by UFC to step into the ring against the undefeated Rakhmonov. The bout is scheduled for UFC’s December 16 pay-per-view event being held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In his announcement, Thompson expressed his eagerness for the match, stating, “UFC offered and I’ve accepted, [Rakhmonov] let’s close out the year strong. Dec. 16 can’t wait.”
In response to this, Rakhmonov readily accepted the challenge. It is important to note that previously, the Khazak fighter had been suggested to Thompson as a potential adversary, but the match had failed to come to fruition. Back in August 2022, Thompson seemed to lack interest in the fight, as he thought Rakhmonov would merely wrestle him. However, following Rakhmonov’s victorious submission against Geoff Neal at a UFC 285 match in March, there were a number of tense exchanges on Twitter implying a potential fight.
Most recently, Thompson was seen in action at UFC Orlando in the previous December, where he ended on top by knocking out Kevin Holland in the fourth round. This victorious re-entry after two consecutive losses brought the two-time title challenger back on the winning streak, having previously lost to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns. On the other hand, Rakhmonov maintains an impressive 5-0 streak in the UFC. In the global rankings, Rakhmonov currently holds the 4th position whereas Thompson is at No. 8.