Rakhmonov was a surefire No. 1 contender for the UFC welterweight championship at the end of 2024. He never got that title shot, as he missed all of 2025 due to injuries. Rakhmonov said he recently suffered another setback and underwent surgery, which kept him on the shelf even longer.
During an edition of the “Overdogs Podcast,” Buckley had a bleak view of Rakhmonov’s fighting future (h/t MMA Junkie).
“I’m going to make this prediction right now: We’ll never see Shavkat (in the UFC) again,” Buckley said. “The thing about Shavkat is he’s not a content creator. At least Colby keeps his name out there. He keeps himself relevant. He’s in the RAF. You have to do these things so people can recognize your name, but every time we hear about your name it’s about something negative, and that’s the bad part.”
“It’s going to get to a point where the fans lose interest. They’re going to forget about Shavkat – I promise you. They’re just going to forget about Shvakat, and guess what the next step is going to be for the UFC? They’re going to send him back to Kazakhstan.”
Rakhmonov was removed from the official UFC welterweight rankings due to inactivity. Many MMA fans fear that the undefeated ‘Nomad’ could end up being the biggest ‘what if’ story in the history of the sport. Some believe it’s too early to write off Rakhmonov’s chances of overcoming his adversity and eventually becoming a UFC champion, but whether or not he can reach the level he could have reached before the injuries is another discussion.
Think we’ve seen the last of Shavkat Rakhmonov in MMA? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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