This weekend, “Nomad” returns for his second appearance under the UFC banner, sharing the Octagon with another Brazilian veteran, Michel Prazeres, in what should be another quality measuring stick moment for the unbeaten emerging talent.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old Prazeres had his eight-fight winning streak snapped the last time he stepped into the Octagon, dropping a unanimous decision to Ismail Naurdiev in Prague, Czech Republic in early 2019. Now cleared to return following a two-year ban, the veteran, who holds victories over Gilbert Burns, Mads Burnell, and Zak Cummings, brings a wealth of experience and a suffocating grappling acumen into this matchup with Rakhmonov.
View Rakhmonov’s Athlete Profile
This weekend’s bout is a chance for the gifted newcomer to add another established name to his list of vanquished foes and further expedite his climb towards the top of the welterweight division.
If he can do to Prazeres what he did to Oliveira, Rakhmonov could find himself on a fast track to contention in the 170-pound weight class heading into the back half of 2021.
Ike Villanueva
It was impossible not to feel happy for Ike Villanueva when he registered a second-round knockout win over Vinicius Moreira earlier this year on Fight Island.
A 13-year veteran who toiled on the regional circuit for more than a decade, crossing paths with future UFC competitors Cody Donovan, Justin Ledet, Robert Drysdale, and Trevin Giles before they reached the Octagon, consecutive wins over former UFC athletes Roger Narvaez and Rashad Coulter finally earned Villanueva the chance to compete under the UFC banner last year.
