UFC 296 results: Shavkat Rakhmonov rear-naked chokes Stephen Thompson, calls for title shot

The welterweight championship became even more competitive due to Shavkat Rakhmonov's match against Stephen Thompson in the ultimate pay-per-view of the year.

Several welterweight contenders aimed to shake up the title picture for 2024 at UFC 296 in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) made a strong argument for himself as the number 1 contender by defeating former title challenger Thompson (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) with a rear-naked choke at 4:56 in the second round, solidifying his claim.

In the beginning of the fight, Rakhmonov started to use his strength to control Thompson, pushing him against the cage. The audience became impatient as they remained stuck in this position, so they began to throw some weak punches. Rakhmonov tried to take Thompson down by lifting his leg high up in the air, but Thompson was able to resist and stay standing. With only a little bit of time left in the round, they separated and Thompson was able to strike Rakhmonov a few times before the end of the round.

Thompson began the next round by launching a string of side kicks and a combination of punches that made Rakhmonov try to take him down. The audience expressed disapproval when Rakhmonov pushed Thompson towards the cage. Rakhmonov finally succeeded in taking Thompson down with only three minutes remaining, then locked one arm behind Thompson's back. Although Rakhmonov executed a tight rear-naked chokehold, Thompson still managed to break free.

Despite Thompson's valiant efforts, he was still in a precarious position as Rakhmonov maintained control. With the clock ticking down, Thompson found himself in a vulnerable state, allowing Rakhmonov to make yet another attempt at a rear-naked choke. When the final 10-second warning was issued, Thompson knew he had no choice but to tap out.

In his interview with Joe Rogan after the fight, Rakhmonov expressed his satisfaction in defeating the formidable Stephen Thompson. He also confidently stated that he deserves a chance to compete for the title. Rakhmonov believes he's ready to face the winner of the title fight and is prepared to take on whoever comes out on top.

Rakhmonov won his sixth fight with the UFC without ever losing before. He's nicknamed "Nomad" and his last win was also with a rear-naked choke hold when he beat Geoff Neal at UFC 285 in March.

Meanwhile, Thompson, who is 40 years old, lost the only match he participated in this year. In his last battle, "Wonderboy" defeated Kevin Holland with a TKO last December, ending his two-match losing streak.

The latest UFC 296 outcomes are as follows:

Shavkat Rakhmonov emerged victorious over Stephen Thompson by making him submit through a rear-naked choke in the second round of the match, which lasted for 4 minutes and 56 seconds.

Paddy Pimblett won the fight against Tony Ferguson by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring 30-27.

Josh Emmett won the fight against Bryce Mitchell by landing a knockout punch in the first round at the time of 1 minute and 57 seconds.

Alonzo Menifield emerged victorious over Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision (with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28).

Irene Aldana emerged as the winner against Karol Rosa through a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.

Cody Garbrandt beats Brian Kelleher by punching him and knocking him out in the first round of the fight. The knockout occurred 3 minutes and 42 seconds into the round.

Ariane Lipski wins against Casey O’Neill through a submission (armbar) during the second round which took 1 minute and 18 seconds.

In the second round of the match, Tagir Ulanbekov submitted Cody Durden by executing a rear-naked choke at the 4 minute and 25 second mark.

Andre Fili won the fight against Lucas Almeida in the first round with a knockout caused by punches at the 3 minutes and 32 seconds mark.

Shamil Gaziev took out Martin Buday by Technical Knockout through his impressive punching skills. This occurred in the second round of the match, with only 0:56 left on the clock.

To find additional information about the card, check out UFC 296's event center on MMA Junkie's website.

Article first published on MMA Junkie website.