Shavkat Rakhmonov was on a fast track to the top of the welterweight division. However, he has now been sidelined as a result of injuring his knee for the second time. Rakhmonov has undergone surgery for the second time in the last year, and he is not expected to fight again until atleast late 2026. This has prompted former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to urge the Kazakh to make significant changes to his training camp if a championship remains his ultimate goal.

“I feel bad for him because all you want to do is be healthy, and you want to compete and you want to provide for your family,” Usman said in his Pound4Pound podcast recently. “But unfortunately, that’s not the case. He continues to sustain these injuries.” ‘Nomad’ defeated Ian Garry in December 2024, which made him the No.1-ranked contender for a title shot. 

However, soon after, he soon, injured his knee. Then he sat out the entirety of 2025, promising a return in 2026 to get back on the title run. Now, he has revealed a second injury on the same knee and has been forced to undergo surgery which has put him out of commission for the entirety of 2026.

This means his title dream has been pushed further back. So, Usman has proposed a solution. “So, one, I would say potentially, if this is really what you still want to do, let’s find a new camp and let’s take care of our body,” Usman stated during the podcast. “Take care of our body until you’re done with the sport, and then you can move home and lead your life the way that you want to lead your life.”

“But if you still have aspirations of being a champion… then we have to potentially look for a change because I believe this is the second time now [he has] undergone surgery… with the same injury,” Usman continued. “I don’t admire that situation at all. I’ve been there.”

Kumaru Usman himself has been forced to stay on the sidelines because of injuries with his knee during his run in the UFC. For Shavkat Rakhmonov, however, the consequences are far more severe, as his eventual comeback would force him to restart his climb from the very bottom of the division as a result of new update.

Shavkat Rakhmonov removed from UFC rankings

Undefeated welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov has officially been removed from the UFC rankings, marking a major setback in his once-unstoppable rise. He previously held the No.2 spot in the rankings, and with his exit, every top 15 has been bumped up one spot.

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Now, the man he defeated, Ian Garry, has moved into the No. 2 spot behind Jack Della Maddalena. And the final spot on the rankings has been awarded to Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who is making his welterweight return against Sam Patterson on March 22. 

Despite the setback, Rakhmonov has chosen to stay positive. “A fighter’s path has never been easy,” he wrote on X in a statement confirming his injury. “Life doesn’t give us challenges we can’t overcome.” He views his latest setback as just part of the bigger plan.

And his ambition remains the same. “The UFC belt still has to come to Kazakhstan.”

Only time will reveal what lies ahead for Shavkat Rakhmonov. Whether recurring knee injuries derail his once-promising career or he finds a way to overcome them remains to be seen. What do you think is next for the Kazakh star?