Shavkat Rakhmonov admits UFC return is far from guaranteed

Shavkat Rakhmonov, the unbeaten welterweight of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has admitted that his return to the octagon is by no means certain. The fighter, who has been out of action since his victory over Ian Garry in December 2024, has been grappling with the lingering effects of a knee injury sustained during that bout. In a recent interview with Alf Global, Rakhmonov reflected on the incident and shared his thoughts on his future in the 170-pound division.

The Kazakh fighter admitted that he should not have competed with his injury, acknowledging that it was a risky decision. Rakhmonov took a swipe at his Dagestani counterparts, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, claiming that they would never have fought while injured. "Well, that’s my problem; I couldn’t fight," he told Alf Global. "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."

Rakhmonov went on to elaborate on how his knee injury worsened during his fight with Garry. "I already had an injury going into the Ian Garry fight," he added. "I stepped in; I hadn’t fought for a year; I wanted to fight. 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 really feel that strike, in general." Despite these candid remarks, Rakhmonov hasn't ruled out a return to the UFC, leaving the door open to a potential comeback.