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Makhachev won the welterweight title with a dominant decision against Jack Della Maddalena earlier this month. Rakhmonov congratulated Makhachev on the win, while declaring himself the real test at welterweight.
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“Congratulations to Islam, excellent performance. But the real challenge at 170 is still me,” Rakhmonov wrote on social media.
Congratulations to Islam, excellent performance. But the real challenge at 170 is still me.
— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) November 16, 2025
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Makhachev (28-1) was also cornering his teammates last weekend at UFC Qatar, where he exchanged pleasantries with Rakhmonov (19-0). Asked about a potential matchup against Rakhmonov, Makhachev cited the undefeated Kazakh’s inactivity. Makhachev doesn’t think a contender deserves an immediate title shot after not fighting for nearly a year. However, Makhachev has no issues fighting Rakhmonov if the UFC wants him to.
“Shavkat hasn’t fought for over a year,” Makhachv said at a press confence in Russia (translation via YouTube). “A contender can’t spend a year battling his injuries and then come and fight for the belt. Yes, we said hello, he congratulated me, we just shook hands. Well, if he recovers and the UFC decides he’s next, why not?”
With six finishes in seven UFC wins, Rakhmonov was originally expected to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title earlier this year. However, Rakhmonov was sidelined with an injury, and wild card contender Maddalena dethroned Muhammad in a massive upset. Rakhmonov hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision win over Ian Garry in December 2024, the only time “Nomad” saw the judges’ scorecards in his career.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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