Shavkat Rakhmonov calls to fight Kelvin Gastelum in return to welterweight division

UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov would love to welcome Kelvin Gastelum back to the division.

The former middleweight title challenger is fresh off his return last month at UFC 287. In that outing, Gastelum earned a badly needed unanimous decision victory over Chris Curtis. For their performances, the two received the ‘Performance of the Night’ award. Weeks following the victory, he announced his plans to drop back down to the welterweight division.

The former middleweight previously competed in the weight class from 2013 to 2016. In that time, Gastelum picked up high-profile wins over names such as Uriah Hall, Johny Hendricks, and Nate Marquardt. Given those wins, his return to welterweight is a big deal, and he’s already gotten a major callout.

RELATED: KHAMZAT CHIMAEV PROMISES TO BREAK KAMARU USMAN’S FACE AHEAD OF CONFIRMED ABU DHABI RETURN

Luckily for Kelvin Gastelum, he received that massive callout from Shavkat Rakhmonov. ‘Nomad’ has been out of action since a submission victory over Geoff Neal in March at UFC 285. That victory moved Rakhmonov to 17-0 in his professional career, with prior wins over names such as Neil Magny and Alex Oliveira. Furthermore, the 28-year-old is viewed as arguably the greatest prospect in the UFC currently.

Well, it seems that the Kazakhstan fighter is now looking to add another major name to his resume. On Twitter, Rakmonov reacted to Gastelum’s announcement that he was heading down to 170 pounds. There, the welterweight contender stated that he would love to welcome the former title challenger to the division.

Should I be the one to welcome Kelvin back to 170? @danawhite @seanshelby https://t.co/1zuIontmkH

— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) May 23, 2023

“Should I be the one to welcome Kelvin back to 170? @danawhite @seanshelby”

Currently, neither man has an active fight booked, making this welterweight clash a possibility.

What do you make of these comments? Do you want to see Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kelvin Gastelum next? Who do you think will win? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!