Shavkat Rakhmonov shared the latest update on his injury status and when fans could see him make his UFC return. Rakhmonov has been sidelined due to injuries for over a year, but remains optimistic.
Rakhmonov last fought at UFC 310 in 2024, when he defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision. He holds an impressive unbeaten 19-0 record, with wins over Machado Garry, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Geoff Neal, and Neil Magny.
‘Nomad’ suffered a string of unfortunate injuries. While recovering from his knee injuries, the Kazakh once again suffered an injury to he same knee. As a result, Rakhmonov lost his opportunity to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight championship.
“If I had fought, I could’ve become champion, but that’s how it turned out. I was injured. What can I do? We are only human, we are bound to make plenty of mistakes,” Rakhmonov told Alf Global [Translated].
Still, Rakhmonov is aiming for a UFC return in 2027.
“Time will tell. It’s too early to say anything yet. I’ll do my best to come back and win the title. Time will reveal everything.”
Rakhmonov, 31, is still in the prime of his career, so a title run should not be ruled out.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Reveals He Dealt With Injuries During Ian Machado Garry Fight
Shavkat Rakhmonov also revealed that he was dealing with serious injuries during his fight with Ian Machado Garry. ‘Nomad’ stayed focused despite being compromised and still managed to earn a victory.
Rakhmonov reflected on his fight with Machado Garry and revealed that he sustained the injury ahead of the fight. He described the difficult preparation for the fight and explained why he accepted it on short notice.
“I already had an injury going into the Ian [Machado] Garry fight,” Rakhmonov told Alf Global [Translated]. “I hadn’t fought for a year and I wanted to fight. Even before that, I had health problems, too. And it turned out there were only two weeks left before the Machado Garry fight.”
He continued:
“That old injury was still bothering me a lot. My leg was swollen. And when he was striking me, it was probably because I completely lacked a ligament. I couldn’t feel that strike in general.”
Rakhmonov Takes Shot at Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Rakhmonov also surprisingly took aim at Khabib Nurmagomedov and reigning welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.
‘Nomad’ believes he showed mental toughness and resilience by fighting Machado Garry at UFC 310, despite being injured. In his mind, the risk was worth the reward and paid off, as he faced off with Belal Muhammad afterward.
“I actually shouldn’t even have fought Ian Machado Garry at all. With injuries like that, I shouldn’t have fought at all,” Rakhmonov told Alf Global [translated]. “That’s the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring. They’re not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter like Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would’ve refused.”
Rakhmonov was set to challenge Muhammad for the welterweight title. However, he was unable to do so due to his injuries. As a result, Jack Della Maddalena stepped in to face Muhammad instead and went on to win the welterweight championship.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Reveals Latest Injury Update and UFC Return