Shavkat Rakhmonov posted a video from his rehabilitation that concerned his fans, as he appears far from fighting condition in the footage. The Kazakh welterweight contender has now been out of the octagon for more than 18 months without competing. The post also mentions a confrontation between Caio Borralho and Dricus Du Plessis in South Africa, where Borralho challenged Du Plessis and was invited to spar at his gym. Additionally, insiders reported that a fight between Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is in development.
Shavkat Rakhmonov has shared a rehabilitation video that has drawn widespread concern from fans, with the footage suggesting the undefeated Kazakh contender remains far from competitive shape after more than 18 months away from the octagon.
Rakhmonov, 31, carries a perfect 19-0 record and is ranked third in the UFC welterweight division. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, the orthodox striker out of DAR Team has built his reputation on a suffocating all-around game, landing 3.25 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.4 takedowns and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes. The extended absence only adds weight to what the rehabilitation clip appears to show.
Separately, a face-to-face confrontation between middleweight contenders Caio Borralho and Dricus Du Plessis reportedly took place in South Africa. Borralho, ranked fourth at 185 pounds and carrying an 18-2 record, challenged Du Plessis directly and was reportedly invited to spar at the champion's gym in response. The 33-year-old Brazilian southpaw out of The Fighting Nerds lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and has shown steady top-game pressure throughout his UFC run.
Du Plessis, currently ranked second in the middleweight division and seventh pound-for-pound, holds a 23-3 record and trains out of Team CIT in South Africa. The 32-year-old switch-hitter is one of the division's most active strikers, producing 5.18 significant strikes per minute, and backs that up with 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. Insiders have also reported that a middleweight contest between Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is in development, though no official confirmation has been issued.
Why it matters
- Rakhmonov's prolonged absence leaves the welterweight top five unsettled with an unbeaten contender on the sideline
- The Borralho-Du Plessis confrontation signals genuine bad blood at the top of the middleweight division
- A reported Du Plessis vs. Usman matchup would pit a current top-two middleweight against a decorated former champion making a divisional move
