Stephen Thompson’s Octagon Return Against Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov

Read about Stephen Thompson’s highly-anticipated Octagon return against undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. Thompson, a former two-time welterweight title challenger, is determined to prove his worth and secure a title shot.

Former two-time welterweight title challenger, Stephen Thompson, is set to make his highly-anticipated return to the Octagon in December at UFC 296. Thompson will face off against the undefeated finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov. This exciting matchup almost happened earlier, but Thompson had initially rejected the fight offer. Thompson, currently ranked number seven in the welterweight division, has been sidelined since his impressive fourth-round TKO win over Kevin Holland last December.

Thompson was originally scheduled to return at UFC 291 in July, but he turned down a catchweight fight with Michel Pereira after Pereira missed weight. Now, Thompson has his sights set on Rakhmonov, who is ranked number six in the division. This fight has the potential to be a barnburner and could serve as a welterweight title eliminator.

Thompson admitted that he had rejected a prior fight offer from the UFC to challenge Rakhmonov due to a lack of perceived name value. However, after watching Rakhmonov’s impressive performances against Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, Thompson realized the Uzbekistan native’s skills and now sees him as a legitimate contender.

"So anybody that’s ranked above me, I told the UFC I’m down for," said Stephen Thompson. "This is the guy I think could possibly be the welterweight champ at some point. He’s that good, undefeated, and has a 100 percent finish rate. So what better way to show the world and the UFC that I deserve a title shot than by fighting this guy?"

Stephen Thompson’s Octagon Return

Former two-time welterweight title challenger, Stephen Thompson, is set to make his highly-anticipated return to the Octagon in December at UFC 296. Thompson will face off against the undefeated finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov. This exciting matchup almost happened earlier, but Thompson had initially rejected the fight offer. Thompson, currently ranked number seven in the welterweight division, has been sidelined since his impressive fourth-round TKO win over Kevin Holland last December.

Thompson was originally scheduled to return at UFC 291 in July, but he turned down a catchweight fight with Michel Pereira after Pereira missed weight. Now, Thompson has his sights set on Rakhmonov, who is ranked number six in the division. This fight has the potential to be a barnburner and could serve as a welterweight title eliminator.

Thompson admitted that he had rejected a prior fight offer from the UFC to challenge Rakhmonov due to a lack of perceived name value. However, after watching Rakhmonov’s impressive performances against Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, Thompson realized the Uzbekistan native’s skills and now sees him as a legitimate contender.

"So anybody that’s ranked above me, I told the UFC I’m down for," said Stephen Thompson. "This is the guy I think could possibly be the welterweight champ at some point. He’s that good, undefeated, and has a 100 percent finish rate. So what better way to show the world and the UFC that I deserve a title shot than by fighting this guy?"