Shavkat Rakhmonov posted a cryptic message on Instagram on Monday, November 9, hinting at a 2027 return after nearly two years out of the Octagon. The undefeated Kazakh welterweight contender is also facing unconfirmed reports of a fresh setback in his surgically repaired left knee.
A Social Media Tease Reignites Speculation
Rakhmonov posted an image captioned “Soon 2027” to his Instagram Story. On X, he added: “Another week of hard training done. Getting stronger every single day.” The posts, reported November 10 by Sherdog and November 9 by NY Fights on Yahoo Sports, gave no date or opponent for a return to the Octagon.
An 18-Fight Finishing Streak Snapped at UFC 310
Rakhmonov is undefeated at 19-0 in the welterweight division, and NY Fights notes he had finished his first 18 professional opponents before his most recent fight. The outlet describes his style as a combination of power and finishing ability, pointing to past wins over Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal. He was originally booked to challenge then-champion Belal Muhammad, who withdrew because of a bone infection in his foot, according to LowKickMMA. Ian Machado Garry stepped in instead, and Rakhmonov beat him by unanimous decision on December 14, 2024, at UFC 310, the first fight of his career to go the distance. He entered that bout already dealing with a torn meniscus and a partial ACL tear, LowKickMMA reported, an injury that Yahoo Sports says worsened as Garry repeatedly targeted the damaged leg. That bout against Garry was the 19th of his professional career, and remains the only one so far to reach the judges’ scorecards.
Surgery, a Ranking Drop, and Fresh Unconfirmed Rumors
Rakhmonov announced a further procedure on February 1, 2026, a day after surgery on the same left knee. He had appeared on crutches with his leg in a brace at the Naiza FC 80 event in Kazakhstan on January 31, 2026, in video first shared by Championship Rounds and reported by LowKickMMA. “Due to persistent injuries, I have undergone another surgery and will require time to heal completely,” he wrote at the time, adding that he would return “stronger, wiser, and more driven than ever” and that “the UFC title still needs to come to Kazakhstan.” He was ranked No. 2 at welterweight at the time, LowKickMMA reported, before being removed from the UFC’s official rankings in February 2026. His manager, Daniel Rubenstein, told Ariel Helwani, and again in May 2026, that the early prognosis could push a return into 2027. Unconfirmed reports that surfaced the weekend before his November 9 post claim a further setback that could delay a comeback until June 2027, according to Sherdog.
A Welterweight Picture Reshaped in His Absence
The welterweight title has changed hands twice since Rakhmonov’s layoff began. Jack Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad before losing the belt to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 in November 2025, per LowKickMMA. Makhachev’s withdrawal as the division’s undisputed champion led the UFC to book Carlos Prates against Michael Morales for the interim welterweight title on January 30, 2027, in Toronto, according to Yahoo Sports. Morales, ranked No. 2 and undefeated at 19-0 overall with a 7-0 UFC record, hasn’t fought since stopping Sean Brady at UFC 322 in November 2025, and has finished his last three opponents, Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Neil Magny, inside the first round. Prates, ranked No. 4 at 24-7, has lost just once inside the Octagon, to Ian Machado Garry in April 2025, and has since reeled off three straight knockouts over Jack Della Maddalena, Leon Edwards, and Geoff Neal. Morales had called out Rakhmonov in early October, labeling him the “final boss” of the division and floating a possible January 2027 matchup, NY Fights reported. Before Morales was instead booked against Prates, a Rakhmonov-Morales winner had been expected to challenge the winner of Makhachev’s own UFC 336 bout, NY Fights reported in October. For now, Rakhmonov remains without a confirmed opponent for any 2027 comeback.
Rakhmonov’s own posts point to heavy training camps as he works his way back, with no fight officially booked yet and no timeline confirmed by the UFC. Our ranking of MMA training gloves compares the top model from each brand.
