Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov will take on Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the Welterweight bout. You can view the complete UFC 296 card.

Rakhmonov brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 77″ reach. In contrast, Thompson, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 75″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 59% striking accuracy, Rakhmonov has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 4.45 per minute. On the other hand, Thompson boasts a 45% striking accuracy, landing approximately 4.2 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 29-year-old, Shavkat Rakhmonov is coming in with a 17-0-0 record. Rakhmonov will be fighting for the first time since a win via submission against Geoff Neal at UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane in March.

Thompson, meanwhile, is coming off a KO/TKO win against Shavkat Rakhmonov on March 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Holland and holds a 17-6-1 record.

Shavkat Rakhmonov has a orthodox fighting stance with an 77″ reach. The 41-year-old Stephen Thompson is an orthodox fighter with a 75″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Shavkat Rakhmonov stats

→ Rakhmonov’s striking accuracy is 59%.
→ Rakhmonov lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute.
→ Rakhmonov’s takedown accuracy is 33%.
→ Rakhmonov’s takedown average is 1.49 per 15 minutes.
→ Rakhmonov’s takedown defense is 100%.

Rakhmonov comes in with 59% striking accuracy, typically landing about 4.45 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Thompson fires at 45% accuracy, landing about 4.2 significant strikes per minute. Shavkat Rakhmonov also has a 33% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 1.49 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Thompson’s 0.27 takedowns and 64% takedown accuracy.

Stephen Thompson stats

→ Thompson’s striking accuracy is 45%.
→ Thompson lands 4.2 significant strikes per minute.
→ Thompson’s takedown accuracy is 41%.
→ Thompson’s takedown average is 0.27 per 15 minutes.
→ Thompson’s takedown defense is 64%.

Stephen spent, on average, 14:51 minutes in the Octagon, and Shavkat has an average fight time of 8:03 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be a good clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Shavkat or Stephen? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC 296 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.