Shavkat Rakhmonov targets late 2026 UFC return after knee injury rehab

Shavkat Rakhmonov is planning his next UFC fight for later in 2026, around December. The undefeated Kazakh welterweight continues a lengthy rehabilitation process following a knee injury and subsequent surgeries. If he returns in December as planned, Rakhmonov will have been sidelined for exactly two years since his last octagon appearance. The extended absence raises questions about ring rust and conditioning for the highly-ranked contender.