Shavkat Rakhmonov has spent the past year watching the welterweight division move without him. For a fighter who was once seen as the inevitable next title challenger, the most difficult aspect has been being forced to stand still while everyone else around him continues to fight. But now, at last, there is movement.

Rakhmonov recently shared a clip of himself working through knee rehab, balancing his entire body weight on the injured leg while leaning forward and rising back upright under control.

It is a simple drill, but one that quietly says a lot. After surgery and months of uncertainty, ‘Nomad’ is now laying the groundwork—literally, one leg at a time. And that is no small milestone considering how brutal the setbacks have been.

After missing all of 2025 due to his knee issues, Shavkat Rakhmonov experienced another injury setback earlier this year that required surgery and is likely to keep him out for approximately nine months, according to his manager Daniel Rubenstein.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. He had a perfect 19-0 record, had finished his first 18 opponents, and then showed another level of his game by going five rounds with Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310. Yet even while sidelined, his belief has never wavered.

“It’s not easy to accept, but I truly believe every setback is part of a bigger plan,” Rakhmonov shared on social media. “I will come back stronger, smarter, and hungrier than ever.

“My goal is still alive. The UFC belt still has to come to Kazakhstan.”

That is what makes this rehab clip feel meaningful. This isn’t just recovery footage. It serves as a reminder that one of the UFC’s most feared unbeaten contenders is still chasing the same goal.

The promotion may have removed his name from the rankings, but if ‘Nomad’ becomes healthy again, the welterweight division will have to deal with the dark horse it never truly got rid of.

In fact, he has already earned such respect in the division that even Kamaru Usman questioned the UFC’s decision to remove Shavkat Rakhmonov’s name from the rankings, dragging Jon Jones into the mix to question the motive.

Kamaru Usman calls out the UFC’s removal of Shavkat Rakhmonov from the rankings

Injury may have put Shavkat Rakhmonov out of sight, but fighters saw that as very different from being completely out of the picture. That is exactly why Kamaru Usman openly questioned the UFC’s decision. Speaking on his podcast, the former welterweight champion pointed to what he saw as selective consistency.

“Shavkat Rakhmonov is potentially out for the year,” Usman said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo. “I understand (that he hasn’t fought), but they left Jon in the rankings for almost three years.

“I didn’t dispute it when he was kept in the rankings…rightfully so. But basically we’re just picking and choosing when we leave someone in the rankings and when we don’t leave someone in the rankings now?”

That question lands because it reveals a broader issue. Rankings are meant to represent merit, not convenience. Shavkat Rakhmonov had done everything right: he remained unbeaten, upset major names such as Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal, and then solidified his status as a legitimate title contender by defeating Ian Machado Garry.

So, while his knee may have temporarily taken him off the board, fighters like Kamaru Usman clearly believe that removing his name completely sends the incorrect message. In their thoughts, ‘Nomad’ is still a part of the welterweight title equation, ranked or not.