Shavkat Rakhmonov answers the setback rumours with a 2027 comeback tease, two years after his last fight

The timing was not accidental. The posts arrived amid fresh reports in Russian MMA media that his comeback had been pushed back again, to no earlier than June 2027 because of further knee problems. Rakhmonov did not address those reports directly or give a date, but his message was clear: the work is continuing, and he intends to come back.

His path here has been long. Rakhmonov last competed at UFC 310, beating Ian Machado Garry by decision in a fight he later revealed he took with an already injured knee. The damage, a partial ACL tear and meniscus injury, required surgery and cost him a scheduled 2025 title shot against then-champion Belal Muhammad. Just as he was building back toward a return, he re-injured the same knee in training, underwent a second surgery in February 2026, and was later removed from the UFC rankings because of his inactivity. At one point this year he was photographed at an event on crutches and in a knee brace. Since then the picture has improved: footage from his gym in Kazakhstan has shown him back on pads and drilling wrestling and grappling, and his coach has suggested February 2027 as a possible target if his recovery stays on track, while stressing that nobody can yet give an exact timeline.

The division he is returning to looks very different from the one he left. When Rakhmonov last fought, he was the unbeaten No. 2 contender waiting for his title shot. Since then, the belt has passed from Muhammad to Jack Della Maddalena to Islam Makhachev, who defended it against Garry at UFC 330 in August. With Makhachev unavailable for January, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will fight for an interim title at UFC 336 in Toronto on January 30. Morales, like Rakhmonov, is unbeaten, and at least one report has suggested Rakhmonov’s posts were a pointed nod toward the Ecuadorian, though no fight has been discussed publicly.

What makes Rakhmonov’s return so intriguing is what he was before the injury. A 19-0 record built on patient striking, smooth grappling transitions and a reputation as one of the most complete fighters in the division made him a title favourite in waiting. Two surgeries on the same knee, and close to two years out by the time he returns, are serious questions for any fighter. Rakhmonov has not answered them yet. But after months of silence and speculation, he has at least made clear that he plans to try.