Fans are excited for this one. Outside of the main event, this fight is getting the most attention. And that is because people are excited about Shavkat Rakhmonov. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan is 14-0 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC, and he has finished all his pro fights! 7 TKOs and 7 submissions.

People have been mentioning Shavkat alongside the likes of Khamzat Chimaev as future contenders at 170. I am also excited about Shavkat. And I do think he looks very good. But – I am not sold that he is on the same level as Khamzat. I am fully aboard the Khamzat hype train, but Shavkat is going need to show me a bit more before I fully hop on board.

But Shavkat does look like a beast. He fights long and manages distance really well. He can strike from the outside, but it’s when he grabs a hold of his opponents that his power is truly on display. He doesn’t look like a physical specimen, but he has that strength that comes from clean technique. He has looked fairly dominant in his two UFC victories, against respectable UFC vets. It’s been enough to get people excited about him.

His opponent is Carlston Harris. Another solid UFC prospect, even though Carlston isn’t getting nearly the same hype. Carlston is 34 and has 4 losses on his record, but he has won 5 straight fights – all by finish! And he beat some good guys in that run.

Carlston has some solid power and will be aggressive looking for the finish. He also has 5 subs on his record and is equally dangerous to pull out a submission. The betting line on this fight is interesting. Shavkat Rakhmonov is the one with the hype, and he is the betting favourite at around -225. But Carlston Harris is a live dog here. He is a real threat to finish this fight, on the feet or on the ground. We all love potential blue-chip prospects, but Shavkat Rakhmonov needs to still prove himself before we are assuming he is destined for a title shot.

Sometimes it can be profitable to fade these hype trains…we’ll see

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