{"id":261346,"date":"2026-09-07T04:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T04:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/07\/we-had-a-bit-of-a-serious-conflict-shavkat-rakhmonov-explains-how-khamzat-chimaev-rivalry-erupted-while-both-were-unbeaten\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T04:02:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T04:02:00","slug":"we-had-a-bit-of-a-serious-conflict-shavkat-rakhmonov-explains-how-khamzat-chimaev-rivalry-erupted-while-both-were-unbeaten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/07\/we-had-a-bit-of-a-serious-conflict-shavkat-rakhmonov-explains-how-khamzat-chimaev-rivalry-erupted-while-both-were-unbeaten\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;We had a bit of a serious conflict&#8221; &#8211; Shavkat Rakhmonov explains how Khamzat Chimaev rivalry erupted while both were unbeaten"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5214241\" data-slug-id=\"2833058\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Shavkat Rakhmonov and Khamzat Chimaev looked destined to collide for a brief stretch. At the time, both fighters were unbeaten and climbing the UFC welterweight rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Rakhmonov now looks back on that period with a more measured view. He remembers the interest surrounding the matchup, particularly because both fighters were undefeated and represented neighboring countries from the post-Soviet region.<\/p>\n<p>According to Rakhmonov, the tension began after Chimaev appeared to post something on Instagram. That triggered a back-and-forth between the two, although Rakhmonov stopped short of describing it as a major personal feud.<\/p>\n<p>During a recent episode of the ALF Podcast, he said:<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline top\" data-tab=\"top\">\n<p>Get the latest updates on One Championship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/one-championship-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"top\">Rankings<\/a> at Sportskeeda and more<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt was an interesting situation. But you have to remember, at that time Khamzat was getting a lot of hype, and we both had perfect professional records too. We were both undefeated in our MMA careers. He wrote something on Instagram&#8230; And that&#8217;s when it all started&#8230; We had a bit of a serious conflict between us.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>He added:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cLater he realized there&#8217;s no point in shouting, &#8216;Come on! Let&#8217;s fight.&#8217; There was no point anymore. My weight class is 77 [welterweight]. I&#8217;m not big enough to move up to 84 [middleweight] or other weight classes. I feel comfortable.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Check out <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/shavkat-rakhmonov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Shavkat Rakhmonov<\/a><\/em><em>&#8216;s comments below (auto-dubbed from 18:45):<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/youtube\">\n<div class=\"yt-wrapper\">                    <noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u0428\u0410\u0412\u041a\u0410\u0422 \u0420\u0410\u0425\u041c\u041e\u041d\u041e\u0412 \u2013 \u041a\u0410\u0417\u0410\u0425\u0421\u041a\u0418\u0419 \u041f\u0420\u0415\u0422\u0415\u041d\u0414\u0415\u041d\u0422 \u0432 UFC! \u0422\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043c\u044b, \u0441\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0430\u043b\u044b, \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u043e\u0434. \u0411\u041e\u0419 \u0441 \u0427\u0418\u041c\u0410\u0415\u0412\u042b\u041c. ALF \u0445 1win\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e5knHIOPHgg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/youtube\" data-embed=\"e5knHIOPHgg\">\n<div class=\"play-button\"><img height=\"370\" width=\"660\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/09\/ce437-17887520886197-1920.jpg\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/09\/ce437-17887520886197-1920.jpg\" class=\"lazy-img\" alt=\"youtube-cover\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Shavkat Rakhmonov admits fighting Ian Machado Garry injured came with a risk<\/h2>\n<p>Shavkat Rakhmonov believes his decision to fight Ian Machado Garry while carrying a serious knee injury was a risk that many fighters would have avoided. Rakhmonov revealed that he entered the bout with a damaged meniscus and ACL, despite his leg being swollen and the injury still causing significant problems.<\/p>\n<p>He suggested that fighters such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/khabib-nurmagomedov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Khabib Nurmagomedov<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/islam-makhachev\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Islam Makhachev<\/a> would have made a different choice and refused to compete under similar circumstances. In the aforementioned podcast episode, he said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI actually shouldn\u2019t even have fought Ian Garry at all. With injuries like that, I shouldn\u2019t have fought at all, I just took a risk. That\u2019s the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring. They\u2019re not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter like Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would\u2019ve refused&#8230; I already had an injury going into the Ian Garry fight. I stepped in, I hadn\u2019t fought for a year, I wanted to fight. Even before that, I had health problems, too, and it turned out there were only two weeks left before the Ian Garry fight.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Abhishek Nambiar<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/news-we-bit-serious-conflict-shavkat-rakhmonov-explains-khamzat-chimaev-rivalry-erupted-unbeaten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shavkat Rakhmonov and Khamzat Chimaev looked destined to collide for a brief stretch. At the time, both fighters were unbeaten and climbing the UFC welterweight rankings. Rakhmonov now looks back on that period with a more measured view. He remembers the interest surrounding the matchup, particularly because both fighters were undefeated and represented neighboring countries [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":261348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-261346","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}