Fans got their hopes up when Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) returned to the gym.
But smashing pads is a lot different than going through an entire fight camp, which is why No. 5-ranked welterweight contender, Sean Brady, believes we’ve seen the last of the 170-pound “Nomad,” who has not competed since blowing out his knee back in late 2024.
And that’s one less contender for Brady to beat on his way to the 170-pound title.
“Shavkat is hitting pads and stuff and they’re saying he’s coming back but I don’t think
he’s ever gonna fight again,” Brady told Daniel Cormier. “I think he’s done. Because he keeps … every time he tries to come back his knee just keeps going out. He’s just not gonna be able to make it through camp. Guys with knee problems have the problems over and over again.”
Rakhmonov, 31, had surgery to correct the damage, only to re-injure himself during recovery.
The 33-year-old Brady skipped the UFC 330 fight card in his native Philadelphia to log an upcoming main event against fellow welterweight contender Gabriel Bonfim on Nov. 7 in Las Vegas. Both fighters are neck-and-neck in the division rankings, making their five-round showdown a possible title eliminator.
Brady (19-2) has not competed since outworking Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328 last May.
