🚨 Shavkat Rakhmonov has reportedly RE-INJURED his knee and could be out until JUNE 2027! 💔 According to Russian media, Shavkat's knee still can't handle physical strain, raising fresh concerns about his UFC future. Another major setback for one of the most feared welterweights in the division...
Shavkat Rakhmonov has reportedly re-injured his knee and could be sidelined until June 2027, according to Russian media reports that have not been officially confirmed. The claim is that the knee still cannot handle physical strain, which would raise fresh questions about when the unbeaten welterweight returns to the Octagon.
Neither the fighter nor the UFC has addressed the report, and the timeline remains unverified.
Rakhmonov, 32, is a 19-0 welterweight from Kazakhstan who trains with DAR Team. At six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, he is one of the longest fighters in the division. His numbers reflect a finisher's profile: 3.25 significant strikes landed per minute at 60 percent accuracy, plus 1.4 takedowns and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
His most recent recorded fight came on December 7, 2024, at UFC 310, where he beat Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision over five rounds. It was a rare trip to the scorecards for a fighter whose two bouts before it ended inside the distance. He submitted Stephen Thompson in the second round at UFC 296 in December 2023 and Geoff Neal in the third round at UFC 285 in March 2023.
If the reported June 2027 target proves accurate, the arithmetic is stark. Counting from his December 2024 win, that would be roughly two and a half years between recorded appearances. Counting from this report's date of November 7, 2026, it would mean about seven more months away. Rakhmonov would be 33 by then.
Why it matters
- Unbeaten status: a 19-0 record is one of the rarest in the sport, and a long layoff would freeze it in place.
- Divisional traffic: the welterweight division would continue moving without one of its most feared finishers.
- Reliability of the report: the claim comes from Russian media and has no official confirmation, so the injury details and the return window should be treated cautiously.
Knee problems are a particular concern for a fighter whose game relies on a long frame, takedown entries and scrambling, though no medical details have been made public.
