Shavkat Rakhmonov was hoping to get the next UFC welterweight title shot, but at this rate the undefeated “Nomad” will be lucky to fight at all.
If it wasn’t for a lingering knee injury stemming from his decision win over Ian Machado Garry back in Dec. 2024 then Rakhmonov would have already fought for a UFC title. After all, Shavkat is 7-0 as a member of the UFC’s welterweight division and he has finished six of those fights via knockout or submission.
Unfortunately for Rakhmonov, he’s still nursing the same knee injury he aggravated over one year ago. Fight fans have been hopeful that “Nomad” would finally be able to heal up and make his Octagon return, but it still appears Rakhmonov is having issues with his knee.
On Saturday, Rakhmonov made an appearance at the Naiza FC 80 fight card in his own backyard of Kazakhstan. Rakhmonov is a pretty big star around those parts so he drew attention the second he entered the arena. That’s when fans saw the UFC contender wobbling around with a knee brace and crutches. Not the best thing to see if you’re waiting for Shavkat to make his UFC return in 2026.
Check it out below and let us know when (or if) we’ll ever see Rakhmonov fight again!
