Rakhmonov was "awarded" the UFC title. An expert shares insights behind this decision.

President of the Russian mixed martial arts promotion AMC Fight Nights, Kamil Gadzhiev, shared his forecast for the fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad for the UFC welterweight championship title in an interview with Khayrulla Nurtazin, as reported by Vesti.kz.

On December 8, Rakhmonov won a unanimous decision against Ian Garry, becoming the top contender for the championship belt.

"I don't see any problems for Shavkat at all. I believe this will be a one-sided fight. It is likely to end by decision as well. Psychologically, fighters in title bouts always prepare for a long distance, for five rounds. Therefore, I think Shavkat won't rush. I believe Shavkat will take every round in this fight. That's my prediction this time. I wasn't so optimistic about Garry, but with Belal, I consider Shavkat to be the clear favorite," said Gadzhiev.

Initially, Muhammad was supposed to defend his title against Rakhmonov at this event. However, Belal had to withdraw from the bout due to health issues. Only Garry agreed to step in as a replacement, while former UFC champion Kamaru Usman (20-4), of Nigerian descent, declined to fight "Nomad."