Dillon Danis on Shavkat Rakhmonov: "One man's injury changed the whole trajectory of the sport"

Dillon Danis, as he often does, took to X to share his thoughts on combat sports. This time, though, it wasn't to trash talk someone. Instead, he remarked on how the UFC welterweight division's current title picture would have never come to fruition had it not been for Shavkat Rakhmonov's injury.

Dillon Danis is astonished by the UFC welterweight division

The recent history of the UFC welterweight division is something to behold. Had it not been for the knee injury that knocked Shavkat Rakhmonov out of his title fight with Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, the division's current championship complexion would look different. This was pointed out by trash-talker extraordinaire, Dillon Danis, who recounted the recent events that have impacted the 170-pound landscape.

"It's crazy how one man's injury changed the whole trajectory of the sport. If Shavkat Rakhmonov doesn't blow his knee out, Islam doesn't move up, Justin never becomes champion, Ilia might not have a second belt, JDM doesn't get a championship, Ian Garry wouldn't be fighting for a belt, and so much more. What a sport!"

It's a string of events that could have, had they not gone exactly as they have, impacted not just the welterweight division, but lightweight as well.

It’s crazy how one man’s injury changed the whole trajectory of the sport. If Shavkat Rakhmonov doesn’t blow his knee out, Islam doesn’t move up, Justin never becomes champion, Ilia might not have a second belt, JDM doesn’t get a championship, Ian Garry wouldn’t be fighting for a…

— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) August 7, 2026

After defeating a short-notice but tough Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision at UFC 310 back in 2024, Rakhmonov was expected to challenge Muhammad, the then welterweight champion, for the belt at UFC 315. However, a nagging knee injury led to a hiatus that he is only just working his way back from. With Rakhmonov's absence from the division, Muhammad's first welterweight title defense at UFC 315 was ultimately booked against Jack Della Maddalena, who defeated him via unanimous decision. Unfortunately for 'JDM,' he also failed to defend the title, losing it to Islam Makhachev via unanimous decision at UFC 322.

Now, at UFC 330, Makhachev is set to defend the belt for the first time against Garry, the same man who Rakhmonov beat to earn a title shot that's now in limbo.