Shavkat Rakhmonov’s long-awaited return will have to wait a while longer. The undefeated UFC welterweight contender has re-injured his left knee, his manager Danny Rubinstein confirmed to Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani on Saturday.
Rubinstein confirmed that Rakhmonov recently underwent surgery to treat the latest injury. He is expected to miss another nine to 10 months recovering. It was this leg that kept Rakhmonov out for more than a year.
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Rakhmonov (19-0) sparked rumors of another injury on Saturday when he was seen wearing a heavy leg brace and using crutches at the Naiza FC 80 regional MMA event in his native Kazakhstan.
Rakhmonov, 31, has been sidelined since his December 2024 victory over Ian Machado-Gary, a fight that was supposed to solidify his status as the No. 1 contender at welterweight. “The Nomad” was originally scheduled to challenge then-champion Belal Muhammad on the same card at UFC 310, but Muhammad ultimately withdrew due to a bone infection in his foot and Rakhmonov instead faced Gary in a five-round title eliminator.
Rakhmonov has a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC with six stoppages since debuting in 2020. He has long been considered a potential future champion in the 170-pound division.
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In Rakhmonov’s absence, Jack Della Maddalena defeated Muhammad to capture the UFC welterweight title, but lost to No. 1 Islam Makhachev in a one-sided defeat in November.