Shavkat Rakhmonov Cleared for UFC Return

Shavkat Rakhmonov has received an encouraging medical update after a lengthy absence from the UFC. His treating physician, Mikhail Markuart, said there are no longer medical reasons preventing Rakhmonov from continuing his professional career. The update does not set a bout or guarantee a date, but it changes the immediate question around the unbeaten welterweight from medical clearance to preparation. Rakhmonov’s ability to return to fighting shape, along with the UFC’s schedule, will determine when he can compete again.

Markuart said he expects Shavkat Rakhmonov to return to the Octagon at the beginning of next year. That wording is important: it is an expectation from the fighter’s physician, not a confirmed UFC booking. Rakhmonov still has work to do with his strength and conditioning coaches before a return can be arranged. For a fighter whose plans have already been interrupted by a repeat injury to the same knee, the distinction between being medically able to compete and being ready for a fight is the central part of this update. The news is positive because it removes the medical barrier identified by his physician, while leaving the final timetable dependent on his conditioning and the promotion’s calendar.

Rakhmonov’s route back from knee setbacks

Shavkat Rakhmonov last competed in the UFC in 2024, when he defeated former training partner Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision. The win handed Machado Garry his first loss and positioned Rakhmonov for a proposed fight with then-welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who was recovering from a bone infection. Rakhmonov’s own injury issues then altered that path. He suffered a partial ACL tear and a meniscus injury, underwent surgery and began recovery and rehabilitation.

After that initial recovery, Shavkat Rakhmonov was targeting a return in the first or second quarter of 2026. Those plans did not hold because he re-injured the same knee in training. He underwent another knee surgery, extending his time away from competition. His inactivity also led to his removal from the welterweight rankings. One report stated that he had lost his spot at number two, illustrating how much time has passed since his last UFC appearance. The latest physician update does not erase those setbacks, but it provides the clearest indication in the supplied information that Rakhmonov has moved beyond the medical stage of his rehabilitation.

What determines Rakhmonov’s UFC timeline

Markuart’s comments place the remaining focus on performance preparation rather than a new medical procedure. He said the timing depends on Shavkat Rakhmonov’s strength and conditioning coaches and on how quickly he can get back into fighting shape. He also said the UFC schedule is a factor and noted that every case is different. That makes early 2027 a potential window, not a deadline. There is no opponent, event or official bout announcement in the available information. The supported takeaway is narrower but significant: Rakhmonov’s physician does not see a medical reason stopping him from entering the Octagon, and the next phase is building the condition required for competition.

• Medical status: Markuart said there are no longer medical reasons preventing Shavkat Rakhmonov from continuing his professional career.
• Return requirements: Rakhmonov’s fighting fitness, work with strength and conditioning coaches, and the UFC schedule will shape the timing.

Shavkat Rakhmonov’s update is encouraging because it identifies no remaining medical obstacle to his UFC career. It also preserves necessary caution after two knee-related interruptions. Until his conditioning work is complete and the UFC schedule provides an opening, an early-2027 return remains a physician’s expectation rather than a confirmed appearance. Still, for Rakhmonov and his supporters, the news marks a meaningful step from recovery toward a possible return to competition.

Sources: LowKick MMA; Bloody Elbow