December 7, 2024 4:50 pm ET
When Shavkat Rakhmonov made his UFC debut in October 2020, he stepped into the octagon shrouded in thriller. That was a minimum of, partly, due to his look and the truth that few followers knew the place he got here from.
Whereas Rakhmonov was born October 23, 1994, in Sho’rchi, Uzbekistan, his ethnical background is Kazakh. Each of his dad and mom are from Kazakhstan, a central Asian nation that shares an jap border with China and a southern border with Uzbekistan.
UFC followers are accustomed to seeing Rakhmonov put on a headpiece throughout ceremonial weigh-ins and when he walks out to the cage. The headpiece, often called a malahai, is a technique Rakhmonov honors his Kazakh background.
A malahai is a historic headgear originating in Kazakhstan and constructed from wolf fur. In Kazakh folklore, the wolf represents bravery and a warrior spirit. A malahai is worn by males to guard themselves from the winter components and in historical battles was worn to guard a combatant’s head from bladed weapons.
Rakhmonov, who made his skilled MMA debut in 2014, continues to be undefeated greater than a decade into his profession at 18-0. That features six UFC fights within the welterweight division, with wins over notables Neil Magny, Geoff Neal and Stephen Thompson. Rakhmonov meets fellow undefeated contender Ian Machado Garry within the UFC 310 co-main occasion scheduled for 5 rounds.
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Shavkat Rakhmonov’s conventional headwear
Shavkat Rakhmonov within the UFC
