UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny isn’t against the idea of a fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov if it makes sense for his climb in the division.
Magny is fresh off of a split decision win over Max Griffin at UFC Columbus. After getting in early trouble against Griffin, he was able to find his rhythm and timing with his striking over the last two rounds to secure the victory.
Magny called out Khamzat Chimaev after the win, who is slated to face Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. But Rakhmonov feels that he deserves to be considered as Magny’s next opponent and not Chimaev.
During an exclusive interview with MMANews’ James Lynch, Magny responded to Rakhmonov’s recent callout.
“I don’t even know if he’s ranked top 15 at all,” Magny said. “At this point, I just want to fight a ranked opponent…I took a big risk in fighting a dangerous opponent like Max Griffin. And I just want to make sure that the fights that I’m taking are getting me closer to my goal, which is being the UFC champion. Do I love being active? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, I want to make sure that the fights that I’m choosing are actually lining up with my goals overall.”
Magny has been a mainstay in the UFC welterweight division since his time on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 16 and debuted shortly after the show. He’s won five of his last six fights and has competed against some of the best welterweights in UFC history.
Rakhmonov is 15-0 in his MMA career and has won three-straight fights to begin his UFC tenure. He most recently defeated Carlson Harris in February and holds the No. 15 spot in the latest UFC rankings.
Magny is hoping to keep climbing towards a potential welterweight title shot and a win over a newcomer such as Rakhmonov may not be appealing to him for his goals.
Who do you want Neil Magny to fight next?