Shavkat Rakhmonov has all the tools to rule the welterweight division, yet fate keeps cutting him off at the knees. The undefeated Kazakh wrecking machine sits at 19-0, having finished every single opponent since debuting in 2020. He’s carved through the welterweight ranks with clinical violence, stopping names. By the time he stacked a 100% finish rate, analysts and fans alike had already stamped him as the inevitable future of the division. But momentum in MMA can be a fragile thing.

Detours have riddled Rakhmonov’s once-unstoppable rise. After running through Thompson at UFC 296 in December 2023, a “very serious” ankle injury shelved him for nearly a year. He finally returned at UFC 310 against Ian Garry, but a knee injury from the fight forced him back on the shelf, costing him a UFC 315 title shot. Now, whispers swirl around his return as negotiations stall and rumors suggest he’s facing yet another rehabilitation battle.

Is Shavkat Rakhmonov facing another setback?

Fans had been holding their breath, hoping Shavkat Rakhmonov would step back into the Octagon by the end of 2025 or early 2026. However, a “terrible” rumor from Kazakhstan’s social media claimed that the ‘Nomad’ “will likely need new surgical intervention and won’t fight for the next 10 months.” As a result, social media quickly erupted, speculating that a Sean Brady vs. Kamaru Usman showdown was “basically guaranteed.” Fortunately, The Fight Bubble recently debunked these reports, confirming Rakhmonov’s lack of injury.

This revelation reignited hope among fans eager to see the undefeated welterweight dominate the division once again. That said, as the No. 3 contender with a perfect win streak, Shavkat Rakhmonov faces limited options. Many of the division’s top fighters are already booked, and the reigning welterweight champion will face Islam Makhachev at UFC 321 in November. One possibility is that the UFC matchmakers could pair ‘Nomad’ with ranked-2 contender Sean Brady (18-1), who has only one UFC loss to Belal Muhammad and recently defeated Leon Edwards.

Alternatively, another matchup could be former champion Kamaru Usman, who bounced back from three straight losses with a decisive victory over Joaquin Buckley. Still, Shavkat Rakhmonov’s return timeline remains complicated. Earlier this summer, a car accident involving his wife and son forced him to pause his career.

In the meantime, with Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman both eager for another fight before year-end, UFC could set the stage for an unofficial Brady vs. Usman bout—one that Dana White & Co. might announce in the coming weeks.

Does Sean Brady want to fight Kamaru Usman?

UFC former middleweight and welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, long a juggernaut in the welterweight division, hit turbulent waters over the past couple of years. First, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ dropped three straight fights, shattering the rhythm that had made him nearly untouchable. Leon Edwards ended Usman’s 15-fight win streak and then defeated him again in the rematch. After that, the former champ also lost during his middleweight experiment against Khamzat Chimaev.

After a hiatus since late 2023, Kamaru Usman returned at UFC Atlanta and used his experience and fight IQ to dominate Joaquin Buckley. With that win, he cemented his place among the division’s elite, and at 38, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ still chases another title shot. Naturally, his dominant performance caught the attention of Sean Brady, who immediately challenged Usman for the No. 1 contender spot.

“If he would have gotten the finish maybe he would have had more of a claim, but Buckley was number seven,” Brady said of Kamaru Usman on The BradyBagz Podcast. “You’re coming off a three fight skid. I know what he’s trying to say. He has the biggest name for the [division] but it’s like alright, say Islam and JDM fight in October. Let’s say Islam wins. He’s not fighting again until next year.”

Now, the MMA world buzzes with speculation: could a Sean Brady vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov clash be the defining battle fans have been craving? Would this fight settle the debate over the No. 1 contender spot, or is it just another tantalizing “what if” in the welterweight division? Share your thoughts and weigh in below.