Though it’s been less than a month since he defended his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, Islam Makhachev continues to find himself under scrutiny from fighters who question his dominance. A surprising turn of events recently saw the divisional “boogeyman,” Shavkat Rakhmonov, proclaim that he remains the toughest challenge Makhachev has yet to face.

Sidelined by injuries for close to two years now, Rakhmonov has yet to step into the Octagon since he defeated Ian Garry in December 2024. While doubts continue to linger about his return, he remains optimistic about an appearance early next year. Yet, for him to speak about Makhachev while casting doubts over his previous welterweight contention, Rakhmonov appears to have written a check his body can’t cash. No surprise that his remarks received a scathing rebuttal from the welterweight champion.

“Well, Rakhmonov, he gave an interview recently with a huge brace on his knee, and he says he wants to fight. I want to respond to his interview,” Makhachev said in a recent appearance on Match TV. “He says I should’ve chosen him. Choose him, and wait for 1.5 years! Let him recover, and he will become one of the contenders.

“I never said that I will not fight him. In my opinion, Machado Garry is the second-strongest contender in the division. I think Shavkat might be tougher. We’ll see what he can do when he returns.”

While Makhachev centered his response around Rakhmonov appearing with a brace on his left knee, the issue goes back much further. It surrounds the Kazakh’s prolonged absence from competition.

Despite a compromised knee, where he suffered a meniscus and partial ACL tear during camp, Rakhmonov stepped in to face Garry, securing a unanimous victory. But that appearance also effectively kept him away from the cage for the entire calendar year of 2025.

Entering 2026, he reinjured himself in January while undergoing rehab. As a result, he had to undergo yet another surgery with a projected nine-month recovery. His prolonged inactivity, meanwhile, led to him being removed from welterweight rankings.

With a full return expected in February 2027, Rakhmonov will have been out for more than two years.

By any standards, that’s a long break. So for Makhachev to have waited for Rakhmonov to return before fighting him barely makes any sense. So the UFC welterweight champion isn’t wrong here.

It was in November last year that Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to become a welterweight champion. After that, his first title defense against Garry came only after nine months. That in itself is a good waiting period. Had Rakhmonov been healthy at the time, then as a welterweight contender, he could have claimed a shot at Makhachev’s title.

But he wasn’t. So Makhachev was contractually bound to honor Garry’s claim.

Shavkat Rakhmonov doubles down on Islam Makhachev — But does he have a point?

The champion’s reply follows the interview Rakhmonov gave on ALF Global. Speaking with the platform’s owner, Alfredo Auditore, the former M-1 Global Welterweight Champion made two arguments against Makhachev.

He questioned how the Dagestani champion earned his shot at the welterweight championship. Coming off seven straight wins in the UFC that began with his 2020 debut against Alex Oliveira, Rakhmonov felt he deserved a shot at the title, then held by Maddalena.

Instead, Makhachev joined the division after defending his lightweight title from Renato Moicano.

“Islam was doing some strange things. Islam became champion. He was doing some strange things that I didn’t like. Of course, I like Islam as a person, but the most serious contender, the one who deserved it, was me. Maybe I haven’t fought in a year, but I won seven fights in the UFC,” he said.

With Makhachev now established as a champion, the situation has completely changed. Still, Rakhmonov believes he can push the Dagestani to his absolute limits.

While he acknowledged that Makhachev’s wrestling could pose a serious challenge in a fight, the Kazakh felt he would be able to defend himself effectively, considering he has an edge in the stand-up department. That combination alone makes him the toughest opponent Makhachev has yet to face.

That view also appears to have received an endorsement from Javier Mendez, Makhachev’s trainer, who believes Shavkat Rakhmonov is a level above Garry, making him the most potent threat to his star fighter’s dominance.

But for all his frustrations and confidence, one question remains: can Rakhmonov stay healthy once he’s back?

In the ALF interview, while he hasn’t called time on his UFC career yet, he nonetheless appears apprehensive as far as his comeback is concerned.

In this case, Makhachev is simply following what is expected of him – face the fighter next in line in the divisional rankings.

“Shavkat is not fighting. Prates still fighting, still active,” he said. “Morales also good, but I don’t remember last time he fight. If you ask me who is more deserving, I think Carlos Prates.”

With back-to-back wins over two former champions – Leon Edwards and later Maddalena – the Brazilian has clearly positioned himself as a fighter the champion can barely afford to ignore.

So, to enter a 170-pound division that is currently one of UFC’s most stacked, Rakhmonov, as Makhachev stated, has to work his way back into contention before he can realize his dream of becoming a champion.