{
  "id": 12659481,
  "title": "Shavkat Rakhmonov teases UFC return fight against Michael Morales",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/shavkat-rakhmonov-teases-ufc-return-fight-against-michael-morales",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shavkat-rakhmonov-teases-ufc-return-160000337.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Kazakh fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov has hinted at a potential return to the UFC in an upcoming bout against Michael Morales. The encouraging news comes as the welterweight division has become increasingly competitive, with Rakhmonov's rivals such as Islam Makhachev, Leon Edwards, and Belal Muhammad all making waves. After a stint on the sidelines due to a knee injury that required surgery, and subsequent re-injury during rehab, Rakhmonov has finally resumed training and has been sparring. On TikTok, he conveyed his message using the simple phrase \"19-0 vs. 19-0\", which likely refers to a possible matchup with Morales, the only other fighter with a 19-0 record in the division. If this is indeed a tease from the UFC, it would be a thrilling prospect for fans, as the trio of Rakhmonov, Morales, and Carlos Prates could potentially challenge the reigning pound-for-pound king, Makhachev.",
  "summary": "Shavkat Rakhmonov might have an opponent set for his long awaited UFC return fight.",
  "key_points": [
    "Shavkat Rakhmonov hints at UFC return against Michael Morales.",
    "Welterweight division becoming increasingly competitive.",
    "Rakhmonov resumes training after knee injury setbacks."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}