The 170-pound weight class has been one of the most eye-catching divisions in the UFC due to the level of competition.
With Islam Makhachev as the reigning champion, there are multiple potential challengers who could challenge the Russian for the title.
This includes the #2 contender Ian Machado Garry, the undefeated Michael Morales, and the scary knockout artist Carlos Prates.
However, a significant fighter in the welterweight division has been cut from the rankings, leaving the MMA community in shock.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is no longer a ranked fighter
Due to a knee injury, Rakhmonov was out of action for all of 2025, missing two title opportunities.
After re-injuring his knee, the 31-year-old has undergone surgery, which will take nine months to recover, so we likely won’t see the Uzbekistan-born fighter until the end of 2026.
Because of his extended inactivity, Rakhmonov has been removed from the welterweight rankings after maintaining a top-15 position.
A video on social media gradually went viral, showing a Kazakh man using crutches and wearing a leg brace.
The last time Rakhmonov was in the Octagon was December 2024, when he was featured in a five-round co-main event with Machado Garry at UFC 310.
The Kazakh mixed martial artist was originally meant to face Belal Muhammad for the welterweight championship, but the champion had to pull out due to injury.
‘Nomad’ defeated the Irishman by unanimous decision, making it the first time he went to the judges’ scorecards in his MMA career.
Despite that, he secured a guaranteed shot for the 170-pound belt as he faced off with Muhammad during the post-fight interview.
What’s happened at welterweight since his UFC absence?
UFC 315 was the next destination for a welterweight title clash, which was set in Quebec, Canada, at the Bell Centre.
Rakhmonov was offered the opportunity, considering he was the next rightful challenger, but he was forced to turn down the opportunity due to injury.
Jack Della Maddalena took his place instead and became the new 170-pound champion, defeating Muhammad by unanimous decision.
While it seemed he had been promised a chance for the title later in 2025, the UFC had different ideas when Makhachev vacated his lightweight belt, moving up to welterweight before defeating the Australian to become a two-division champion.
In the same event at UFC 322, Morales stopped rising contender Sean Brady by first-round TKO to place him in the top three.
Not to forget, Prates delivered a stunning second-round knockout against former champion Leon Edwards.
Plus, Machado Garry went the distance with Muhammad in the co-main event at UFC Qatar, winning by unanimous decision and making a strong callout to the newly-crowned champion.
With all these fighters more active and producing significant wins, it seems Rakhmonov will be waiting much longer than his return before entering a title contest.