Shavkat Rakhmonov’s long-awaited return will have to wait a little longer. The undefeated UFC welterweight contender has re-injured his left knee, his manager Danny Rubenstein confirmed to Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani on Saturday.
Rakhmonov recently underwent surgery to address the latest injury, Rubenstein confirmed. He is expected to be out another nine to 10 months in recovery. It is the same leg that has kept Rakhmonov sidelined for more than a year.
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Rakhmonov (19-0) was seen wearing a heavy leg brace and using crutches Saturday at the Naiza FC 80 regional MMA event in his own native country of Kazakhstan, sparking rumors about another injury.
Rakhmonov, 31, has been out of action since a December 2024 victory over Ian Machado Garry that was supposed to cement his position as the welterweight division’s No. 1 contender. “The Nomad” was scheduled to challenge for the UFC title against then-champ Belal Muhammad on that same card at UFC 310, however Muhammad ultimately withdrew due to a bone infection in his foot and Rakhmonov instead faced Garry in a five-round title eliminator.
Rakhmonov is a perfect 7-0 with six stoppages in his UFC run since debuting in 2020. He has long been considered to be a potential future champion of the 170-pound ranks.
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In Rakhmonov’s absence, Jack Della Maddalena upset Muhammad to claim the UFC welterweight title, only to lose it in November in a one-sided rout at the hands of pound-for-pound No. 1, Islam Makhachev.
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