"I'll take him down." Chimaev, Makhachev, and six other UFC fighters eager to face Rahmonov.

While the Kazakh fighter (18-0) is currently without an opponent, it’s the perfect time to recall who has expressed a desire to share the cage with the undefeated Nomad since the beginning of 2024. A correspondent remembered eight notable instances.

Jack Della Maddalena (17-2, #4 welterweight UFC)

The 28-year-old fighter is one of those who has repeatedly spoken about Shavkat. He is very interested in a fight with the Kazakh but feels only respect for him. They could have met in Australia during a tournament in the summer, but ultimately both were unprepared due to recovery from injuries.

"The fight of my dreams is a five-round championship bout with Rakhmonov in Australia. I think he is the toughest fighter in the division, excluding me," he admitted back in February of this year.

"This division has plenty of scary guys, but I’m scarier than all of them. Shavkat, you are one of the best. We can have a title eliminator fight! Let’s go!", he declared after defeating Rakhmonov's teammate, Gilbert Burns, in March.

"I think I will finish him, step out there and shock the world. I could ignite a spark in him," - a snippet from his March interview.

"I’ve always liked Shavkat's style and have always wanted to fight him. I think he is the best, and it would be a tough fight," he said in April.

Themba Gorimbo (14-4, unranked welterweight UFC)

In early February, after his second consecutive win in the UFC, the experienced Zimbabwean made a couple of loud statements about the undefeated Shavkat. After that, Gorimbo secured two more victories but refrained from making further comments. It’s curious why the 33-year-old fighter stopped talking about the Kazakh?

"I want to fight the best guys and want to become champion in 2024. Whether it’s Edwards or Rakhmonov, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to beat them," he said in an interview after his victory over Pete Rodriguez in 32 seconds.

"I’m going to be the first person to beat Shavkat and give him his first loss in his career," he added literally the day after the fight.

Ian Garry (15-0, #7 welterweight UFC)

The promising prospect from Ireland is personally acquainted with Shavkat, with whom he trained at an American gym. They even reminisced about their sparring sessions, but each has his version of who performed better.

"Of course, I want a fight with Shavkat! 18-0, 18 finishes, undefeated - I’m ready! He deserves to fight for the title next. This is definitely a fight that needs to happen in the future!

We sparred and trained together. I learned a lot from Shavkat - a phenomenal fighter in every aspect of this game. Only respect for him, but I will try to take away his zero, just as he will try to take mine. I love the idea of fighting Shavkat for the UFC title. I want him to become champion. Then I will come and take his zero along with the belt!", he said in June, shortly before his match against Michael Page.

"December 2024. Undefeated against undefeated. Let’s make it happen!", such a proposal came to Shavkat from Garry in July.

After the world learned about the cancellation of Rakhmonov's title fight, Garry re-uploaded a video from the summer addressing Shavkat on his social media. It seems he is still interested in their matchup. Could he be the one to fight the Kazakh at UFC 310?

Colby Covington (17-4, #6 welterweight UFC)

The 36-year-old American tries to avoid mentioning Rakhmonov, but at the end of July, he still made a few loud statements, attempting to provoke him. This jab didn’t go unnoticed by Shavkat, at least there was no response.

"By the end of next year, I will fight that rat Shavkat for the title. I’m planning to return to the octagon and give my all for the UFC and my fans. Right now, I need to talk to the matchmakers to discuss all the available options for a title fight. People know that being a champion is my destiny. And I know it too.

I don't think there's anything special about Shavkat. His style is to fight with a high chin. In his last fight, he defeated Stephen Thompson. But I don’t think that’s a significant reason to fight for the title. Shavkat has beaten many unknown guys and hasn’t faced a top opponent yet. There are many questions, but one thing I know for sure - I have the skills to beat anyone in the world," Covington concluded.

Kamaru Usman (20-4, #2 welterweight UFC)

Even at 37 years old, the Nigerian ex-champion remains one of the top contenders for the title, despite being on a three-fight losing streak. A few hours ago, the veteran posted on his social media with three emojis - eyes, more eyes, and a suggestive glance. It’s not hard to guess what it’s about - he wouldn’t mind fighting Shavkat while he doesn’t have the opportunity to face the champion.

"Now, because of the loss to Edwards, the UFC will say: 'Okay, we want to give Usman a fight to really show the fans that he’s back, and to show himself that he’s back and deserves a chance to potentially go out and reclaim that title. To do this, find him someone from the top. It could be Shavkat Rakhmonov or Jack Della Maddalena,'" an excerpt from Usman’s July interview.

Joaquin Buckley (20-6, #9 welterweight UFC)

The 30-year-old American has repeatedly made inappropriate comments about Shavkat. Starting with insults and ending with a photo where he "buries" the Kazakh alive, captioning 2024 as the year of his death (hinting at their potential matchup). Is he ready now to salvage the situation and face Rakhmonov one-on-one?

"I’ve always said that Shavkat has never been as good as people claim. The reason I say this so confidently is that when he was offered a fight with me, he declined. When his fight with Maddalena was canceled, I was ready to fight him on that same card. He refused.

Let’s say I fought Shavkat, and he was lucky enough to beat me. Boom, easy. No doubt, they would immediately hand him the title shot. But he knows that I’ve been able to beat many of his teammates, and I have an advantage over him. I don’t think Shavkat is that good. Sooner or later, he will be exposed. If it’s not me, then it will be Belal," he stated in September.

Islam Makhachev (26-1, lightweight champion, #1 P4P UFC)

The 33-year-old Russian champion has not voiced his opinion on this matter. But his coach, Javier Mendez , has spoken for him. There’s hardly any reason to doubt the correctness of what was said. In short - he did not rule out the possibility of organizing a fight between Islam and Shavkat if the former moves up in weight.

"Will Islam agree to fight Shavkat? If the UFC offers it, then of course. There are absolutely no problems with that. None. If the UFC says he needs to fight him, they will make an offer, and Islam will say: 'No problem.' It all depends on Islam, what he says. But as far as I know, he is against fighting Belal Muhammad. They’ve spent too much time in the gym together, so that fight won’t happen," the coach confirmed in September.