New Shavkat Rakhmonov Training Clip Fuels Comeback Speculation Against Michael Morales
Shavkat Rakhmonov has reignited speculation over his return to the Octagon with a positive training update.
Shavkat Rakhmonov has once again entered online discourse after hinting at a clash with Michael Morales. While his knee injury raised alarms, the Kazakh may be in a better spot now, as per the latest update.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Resumes Wrestling Training
After a knee injury at UFC 310 against Ian Machado Garry, Rakhmonov spent nearly two years on the sidelines. Although rehab issues further complicated matters, 'Nomad' looks determined to return to the welterweight ranks. The Kazakh phenom is already putting in the work.
In a recent video shared by MMA Uncensored, Rakhmonov could be seen getting in a few wrestling rounds, albeit at a controlled pace. The Nomad also used extra support for his left knee, hinting at an injury that still needed time to recover. Nonetheless, the wrestling beast succeeded in getting a few takedowns.
"Will Shavkat Return at #UFC336 in Toronto against Michael Morales ⁉️💪," MMA Uncensored wrote in the captions, further adding fuel to the flames.
While the MMA fandom is split over whether his compromised knee would put an asterisk on his anticipated return, Rakhmonov seems adamant on returning to action as soon as January or February next year.
Dana White Leaves Michael Morales Clash Hanging
The undefeated fighter first hinted at his return to the cage through a rather vague message on social media. After putting the best of the welterweight division on notice, Rakhmonov also shared a TikTok video with the caption, "19-0 VS 19-0 👊."
Michael Morales also holds the same record as Rakhmonov, adding to the undefeated-against-undefeated appeal. Although nothing is official yet, Dana White seems open to that proposition.
"Could be, could be… If it was done, we would announce it, but yeah, we actually have a lot of cool stuff going on right now that we went over yesterday," White told the post-fight presser of DWCS Week 10.
"Yeah, we got a lot of good announcements coming up."
Holding a victory over title challenger Ian Machado Garry, coupled with a clean slate, Rakhmonov's resume speaks for itself. Currently, however, the welterweight division is headed in a different direction with division kingpin Islam Makhachev scheduled to defend his crown against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in January.
