Thompson warns rivals not to sleep on unbeaten Rakhmonov's return from knee injury

Stephen Thompson has urged the UFC welterweight division not to underestimate Shavkat Rakhmonov when the unbeaten Kazakh makes his return from a serious knee injury, warning that the 19-0 contender has spent his time on the sidelines sharpening, not fading.

Rakhmonov last competed in December 2024, submitting Ian Garry to extend his perfect professional record. He was widely expected to challenge for the welterweight title next, but a knee injury derailed those plans and forced an extended layoff. In his absence, the title picture shifted dramatically: Jack Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad to claim the belt, only to lose it to Islam Makhachev, who then successfully defended it against Garry at UFC 330. Rakhmonov, meanwhile, was quietly dropped from the official UFC welterweight rankings, effectively removing him from the title conversation.

Thompson — who knows Rakhmonov’s capabilities better than most, having been submitted by him in 2023 — is adamant that the ranking drop and the silence should not be mistaken for decline.

“Huge threat,” Thompson told Home of Fight. “The guy is very skillful everywhere. Just because you don’t see this guy fighting, a lot of people think he’s not been training. This dude has been a through-and-through martial artist since day one. That’s all he does is train. Don’t underestimate this guy coming back. I feel like he’s gonna come back even better, a stronger mindset, stronger fighter spirit. He’s looking for blood.”

Thompson’s assessment carries weight precisely because it comes from someone with first-hand experience of Rakhmonov’s finishing ability. The Kazakh has never been taken to a decision in his professional career, and his combination of grappling and striking has drawn comparisons to some of the division’s all-time greats.

With Makhachev now holding the welterweight title after moving down from lightweight, the 155-pound picture at 170 pounds remains unsettled. A fully fit Rakhmonov re-entering the rankings would immediately complicate the contender landscape, and Thompson’s warning suggests that whoever holds the belt when “Nomad” returns should be paying close attention.