Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into this Stephen Thompson vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov fight, and let me tell you, it’s a tough one to predict! I started by watching a ton of their previous fights. I mean, hours and hours of footage.
First, I focused on Thompson. I pulled up all his recent fights, really paying attention to his striking style. You know, that karate-based, wide-stance thing he does. I watched how he moves, how he throws those side kicks, and how he manages distance. I wrote down notes like “keeps opponents at bay,” “excellent counter-striker,” and “vulnerable to takedowns?”.
- Watched Thompson vs. Pettis
- Watched Thompson vs. Luque
- Watched Thompson vs. Neal
Then, I did the same for Shavkat. This guy is a beast! I dug into his fights, and man, his grappling is insane. I watched how he closes the distance, how he sets up his takedowns, and how he controls opponents on the ground. My notes on him were things like “relentless pressure,” “strong submissions,” and “can he handle Thompson’s stand-up?”.
- Watched Rakhmonov vs. Prazeres.
- Watched Rakhmonov vs. Harris.
- Watched Rakhmonov vs. Magny.
My Analysis Process
After watching all that, I started comparing their strengths and weaknesses. I literally made a chart! On one side, Thompson’s striking, and on the other, Shavkat’s grappling. I tried to figure out how each fighter could win. Like, could Thompson keep Shavkat at a distance and pick him apart? Or could Shavkat get inside, take Thompson down, and submit him?
It was a back-and-forth in my head! I kept replaying scenarios. “Okay, if Shavkat shoots for a takedown here, can Thompson sprawl and counter?” Then I’d switch it up, “If Thompson lands a clean side kick, can Shavkat withstand?”. The amount of times i was mumbling under my breath.
Honestly, I’m still going back and forth. It’s such a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. It could go either way. But hey, that’s what makes it so exciting, right?
