Joaquin Buckley predicts somber things for Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is expected to be sidelined for at least nine months after re-injuring his knee and undergoing surgery once again. The 31-year-old hasn’t competed since defeating Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 in December 2024.
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As a result, Rakhmonov has been removed from the UFC’s welterweight rankings. Colby Covington also hasn’t been seen in action since December 2024, but remains in the standings. Buckley theorizes why.
“Not only did they knock him out of the rankings, but potentially they can get rid of him because he hasn’t been fighting in so long,” Buckley said on his Overdogs Podcast. “He’s going to come up on two years. Just speaking about Colby Covington, the reason they’ve still got him is because they’re waiting on him to waste his money because eventually he’s going to have to get paid, and eventually he’s going to have to get slaughtered by somebody – whoever they’re trying to promote to get into the rankings.
“So that’s why they’re keeping Colby. That’s a nice little card they’re going to be able to use when they need a fight. But with Shavkat, he just wasted his opportunity because I would have fought with a hurt leg at least to stay in the rankings. Now he gone. Crazy.”
Buckley went as far as saying undefeated former No. 1 contender Rakhmonov won’t compete in the UFC again.
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“I’m going to make this prediction right now: We never see Shavkat (in the UFC) again,” Buckley said. “The thing about Shavkat, he ain’t no content creator. At least Colby is keeping his name out there. He’s keeping himself relevant. He’s in the RAF. You’ve got to do these things in order for people to recognize your name, but every time we hear about your name, it’s about something negative, which is the bad part.
“It’s going to be to the point where the fans lose interest. They’re going to forget about Shavkat – I promise you. They’re just going to forget about Shvakat, and guess what the next move is going to be for the UFC? They’re going to send his ass back to Kazakhstan.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Shavkat Rakhmonov finished for good? UFC contender believes so
