
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 07: Fans of Shavkat Rakhmonov from Kazakhstan celebrate his big win with their nation’s flag after UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jake Noecker/Home of Fight)
A UFC Star from Kazakhstan
Shavkat Rakhmonov has become a symbol of pride for Kazakhstan, holding an undefeated record and a series of amazing finishes in the UFC’s welterweight division. With his decisive victory over Ian Machado Garry this past weekend at UFC 310, the energy summoned inside of T-Mobile Arena by the Kazakhstan star was unlike anything ever seen before.
Hundreds of Kazakh flags waving in unison, the chants echoing throughout the arena, and the palpable excitement of these fans demonstrate not just the support for their fighter, but also a celebration of national identity on the global stage of mixed martial arts. To witness thousands of non-english speaking Kazakhstan fans in the crowd, who traveled 20+ hours across the world to reach Las Vegas, really gave a unique insight into just how important Rakhmonov’s representation in the UFC means to his entire nation.
UFC 310: Rakhmonov vs Garry
While Rakhmonov vs Garry didn’t end in the spectacular finish many fans were expecting it to, the matchup was still an overall delight, ending in a very competitive decision victory for Rakhmonov. There were ups and downs for both fighters, leaving fans with a little bit of everything:
- Submission threats by both fighters
- Massive punches landed wobbling each other
- First time fighter shorts were ever replaced mid-fight
- Two undefeated fighters giving it their all
- Back and forth exchanges & scrambles
Before the Garry fight, Rakhmonov has hardly ever faced any adversity during his career. He has essentially steamrolled through all of his opponents, going to the judges scorecards for the first time against Garry. Many times when a fighter has to go the distance for the first time in their career (especially in a 5-round fight), they crumble in the later rounds.
A similar fate may have awaited Rakhmonov if it wasn’t for the overwhelming Kazakhstan support echoing throughout the T-Mobile Arena in the name of Rakhmonov. The crowd was a sea of blue flags and in unison of overpowering “Shavkat” chants. Inside of the Octagon, through all of the dangers Garry presented, it is undeniable that the presence of Kazakhstan in the building motivated Rakhmonov to overcome any bit adversity he faced in the fight.
Kazakhstan Takeover T-Mobile
No matter the seat, fans were surrounded and intermixed with thousands of fans who traveled 20+ hours to Las Vegas all the way from Kazakhstan. It didn’t matter that most of them didn’t speak English, it didn’t matter that many of them didn’t even have a hotel room, all that mattered was giving Kazakhstan’s Shavkat Rakhmonov their unwavering support for 25 minutes of a highly competitive fight.
“18 hours on a plane is nothing,” explains one fan from Kazakhstan. “To be here, to see Shavkat fight, we would travel much farther to support him. He fights for us.”
“I land today, we watch the fights now, after we fly back home. He bleeds for us, we can come to him for him. We can sleep on the plane, this isn’t something we care about.”
Many fans from Kazakhstan were actually seeing Rakhmonov fight for the first time in Las Vegas. Their first trip to America, or in many cases, their first time out of Kazakhstan, was to go support their favorite fighter in a foreign nation across the world.
“This is my first time watching him fight in-person,” says a fan holding a Kazakh flag. “To be in the same room as Shavkat is an honor. I knew he would win. I am glad I made the trip for him.”
A 20 hour trip back home is easier after a big win, but even the thoughts of such rigorous travel for a sporting event is incomprehensible to most American fans. Kazakhstan truly appreciates their athletes and is unbelievably grateful to have representation on the global stage that the UFC offers. Rakhmonov is a lucky fighter who is in a supremely unique position of having a nation back him as vigorously as they do.
A UFC Champion From Kazakhstan
The lone representation of Kazakhstan in the UFC, Shavkat Rakhmonov is only one win away from bringing the ultimate gift back home to his nation: the UFC welterweight title.
After his big win at UFC 310, Rakhmonov had the opportunity to face-off against his next opponent in current UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. It was a respectful, cordial face-off between the two best in the division ahead of a fight that is sure to be filled with tons of excitement. Hopefully this fight goes down in quarter 1 or quarter 2 of 2025, but for now one thing is for sure: Kazakhstan will travel to no matter where the fight goes down!
“Scary fight,” says one fan from Kazakhstan. “Belal is very good. But Shavkat is better. It doesn’t matter, we will go wherever he goes. We will see him win the belt and we will help him bring it home.”
With a title fight victory over Muhammad, Rakhmonov will have done the unthinkable by bringing a belt home to his nation of Kazakhstan. It’s hard to imagine his fanbase being any more loyal, but a championship for Rakhmonov might just lead to an entire Kazakhstan takeover of the UFC.
Stay tuned for Belal Muhammad vs Shavkat Rakhmonov fight news hopefully coming soon! The people of Kazakhstan are certainly eager for an announcement…