"Shavkat vs Islam I need that," "It’s obviously Usman" - Fans react as Shavkat Rakhmonov’s manager gives update on UFC comeback plans

Shavkat Rakhmonov (pictured) entering the octagon for his UFC 296 fight in the T-Mobile Arena. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Shavkat Rakhmonov (pictured) entering the octagon for his UFC 296 fight in the T-Mobile Arena [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

While Shavkat Rakhmonov was primed for a title shot against Belal Muhammad earlier this year, a series of injuries has now effectively removed him from the title picture in the short term. However, an update by the fighter's manager has provided renewed hope for the MMA fandom.

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'Nomad' first suffered an injury in February, denying him a chance to face Muhammad for the welterweight title at UFC 315. While he was hoping to face the winner of Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena later in the year, lingering issues and a subsequent knee injury in October have sidelined him further.

According to an update by Championship Rounds, 'Nomad's' manager has shared crucial updates about his client to Ushatayka:

"[Rakhmonov] is already back to full training. Most likely, he'll be in fighting shape by late January or early February. Right now, he’s training twice a day, preparing with the goal of competing early next year... At this point, waiting for a title shot isn’t realistic. He’ll need to come back, remind everyone who he is, make a statement again, and re-earn his shot at the belt. We’ll see how things play out after the November fights and how the division shapes up from there."
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Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov's manager's comments below:

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True to form, fight fans soon took to social media, reacting to the development.

@Delusionzs wrote:

"Shavkat vs. Islam [Makhachev] I need that."

@ThizzUchiha predicted:

"It’s obviously [Kamaru] Usman [next]."

@SAS_Kingdom chimed in:

"I wanted him to compete this year on either the Abu Dhabi card or in Qatar, but anyway, put him against the clown Colby Covington. That would hit two birds with one stone."
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@DiscordTraveler commented:

"He’s like [Khamzat] Chimaev, you can never count on the fight happening until its fight day."

Rakhmonov holds an undefeated 19-0 record. He was last seen in a unanimous decision win against Ian Garry at UFC 310 in December.

Check out a few more comments below:

Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X
Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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