Unbeaten Rakhmonov resumes pad work 18 months after knee injury derailed title shot

Shavkat Rakhmonov has resumed striking training, returning to light pad work as the unbeaten UFC welterweight contender edges toward a comeback following knee surgery in January 2025.

The Kazakh fighter, who carries a perfect 19-0 record, has been sidelined for roughly 18 months after a knee injury that was aggravated during his December 2024 victory over Ian Garry. Rakhmonov’s manager later confirmed he required surgery after re-injuring the knee, with a projected return window of nine to ten months post-operation. He was spotted earlier this year on crutches and wearing a knee brace, but has since been seen back on the mats doing light pad work, while rehabilitation on his left knee continues.

The road to a title shot has grown considerably more complicated during Rakhmonov’s absence. He had originally been lined up to challenge then-welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in December 2024, only for Muhammad to withdraw with a bone infection. Rakhmonov stepped in to face Garry on the same card and won, but the knee damage sustained in that fight ultimately extended his time away from competition.

The welterweight landscape has since shifted dramatically. Muhammad subsequently lost the title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, before former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev moved up a division and dethroned Maddalena at UFC 322 in November. Makhachev is now set to make the first defence of his welterweight title against Garry at UFC 330 on 15 August at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

That matchup means Rakhmonov, once regarded as the division’s most dangerous contender, will need to wait further before re-entering the title picture. His return timeline remains dependent on how his knee responds to continued rehab, though the resumption of pad work represents a meaningful step forward for the fighter who has yet to taste defeat as a professional.