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Rakhmonov (19-0) hasn’t fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship since defeating Ian Garry in December 2024. While Rakhmonov was expected to fight for the title next, he suffered a knee injury, forcing a lengthy stint on the sidelines. The welterweight title has since changed hands multiple times, with Jack Della Maddalena beating Belal Muhammad to win it before losing the belt to Islam Makhachev, who successfully defended it against Garry at UFC 330.
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Rakhmonov appears to be making progress with his recovery and Stephen Thompson claims “Nomad” will bounce back even better.
Shavkat Rakhmonov remains a major UFC welterweight threat despite lengthy absence
The long layoff saw Rakhmonov get dropped from the official UFC welterweight rankings, effectively removing him from discourse regarding the title mix. However, Thompson, who suffered a submission loss to Rakhmonov in 2023, warns that the latter shouldn’t be underestimated.
Thompson notes that just because Rakhmonov hasn’t competed doesn’t mean he hasn’t been training. “Wonderboy” believes he will return from the injury with a stronger mindset.
“Huge threat,” Thompson told Home of Fight. “The guy is very skillful everywhere. Just because you don’t see this guy fighting, a lot of people think he’s not been training. This dude has been a through-and-through martial artist since day one. That’s all he does is train. Don’t underestimate this guy coming back. I feel like he’s gonna come back even better, a stronger mindset, stronger fighter spirit. He’s looking for blood.”
👀 Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson believes Shavkat Rakhmonov will return to the welterweight division more dangerous than ever.
“People think because he was injured he wasn’t training— don’t get it twisted. The longer he’s been out, the more dangerous he’s becoming.
Don’t be… pic.twitter.com/u4S6bBVlpm
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 18, 2026
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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