UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov was called out for the upcoming Madison Square Garden card in November.
Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t fought since defeating Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 last December. The undefeated UFC welterweight contender suffered a big setback in the weeks after the fight, including several injuries that postponed his title chase.
At a time in which the UFC welterweight division just welcomed Islam Makhachev into the mix, Rakhmonov and others are on the outside waiting for a shot at the title. Rakhmonov might have to win at least one more fight before making a case for another title shot.
Sean Brady calls out Shavkat Rakhmonov amid unbeaten star’s wait for title shot
Rakhmonov recently put his foot down in claiming that he’s only looking for a title shot for his next UFC booking. He shut down the idea of taking ‘intermediate fights’ as he envisions a shot at the belt.
In a recent episode of The BradyBagz Show, UFC welterweight Sean Brady offered to welcome Rakhmonov back to the Octagon.
“Shavkat was saying something about him coming back in November or December, so if he’s coming back in November, I want to fight soon, but I would wait and fight him at MSG on the same card as Jack and Islam, and then that’s a true No. 1 contender’s fight,” Brady said of Rakhmonov.
“Because he was guaranteed a [title] fight, I beat the No. 1 guy, whoever wins that will be the true No. 1 contender, so I would like to do that. We’re going to reach out this week and see if that’s an option.”
Brady then revealed he was in talks to face Ian Machado Garry at UFC 319 before negotiations stalled.
“I have been trying to fight since my last fight,” Brady said. “They called us about a month ago and asked about me and Ian [Machado Garry] for Chicago.
“I was in, didn’t hear anything from the UFC or anything after that.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena is expected to face Makhachev later this year, likely at UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. Maddalena earned the belt by defeating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision earlier this year.
Islam Makhachev’s welterweight title shot log jams top contenders
Rakhmonov is one of several top welterweights who make strong cases for the next title shot against the Maddalena vs. Makhachev winner. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman defeated Joaquin Buckley to return to the title mix in June, another potential opponent for Rakhmonov’s return.
Brady also makes a strong case amid his three-fight win streak, including his most-recent finish of Leon Edwards at UFC London. His lone UFC defeat came against Muhammad at UFC 280.
The UFC matchmakers have quite the tall task attempting to match the welterweight division’s top contenders. If Rakhmonov doesn’t get his desired title shot next, it could be a while until the fan favorite returns to the cage.