Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov might not be out of action for much longer.
The top welterweight contenders have both dealt with inactivity, with Morales still waiting for his first booking since a win over Sean Brady in November 2025, and Rakhmonov out of action since December 2024 due to injuries. Morales recently released a video putting the division on notice, calling out champion Islam Makhachev, Carlos Prates, Ian Machado Garry, and Rakhmonov, referring to the latter as “the final boss.”
Though nothing is official yet, Rakhmonov appears to like the idea of putting his 19-0 record against Morales’ 19-0 record, suggesting as such in a TikTok caption.
Rakhmonov doesn’t specifically mention Morales, but it’s easy to put two and two together given their respective records and Morales’ callout.
Persistent knee injuries have prevented Rakhmonov from returning to the octagon and capitalizing on a win over Ian Machado Garry, who went on to challenge Makhachev for the welterweight title in his absence. Morales has also been on hold, despite having emerged as a potential title challenger with three consecutive first-round knockouts over Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Neil Magny.
