Is Shavkat Rakhmonov One of the Most Cursed Fighters in UFC History?

Throughout the history of sport, there have been many athletes who have been incredibly talented and were on track to becoming the next legends of the sport. However, sadly, their careers didn’t go the way everyone had imagined them to. From Derrick Rose in the NBA to Marco Reus in the Bundesliga, there have been so many names on that unpopular list.

UFC has seen fighters like Tony Ferguson and Dominick Cruz, who have faced tragedy in their careers, whether because of injuries that derailed them or a point where they simply started losing one fight after another. Meanwhile, when it comes to tragedy and an unfortunate career, no one comes close to Shavkat Rakhmonov in terms of bad luck.

Shavkat Rakhmonov’s Career Has Been One Bad Break After Another

The Kazakh fighting star has seen so much in his career, from finishing big names one after another to remaining untouched inside the UFC. After Khabib Nurmagomedov, he and Movsar Evloev are the only two fighters with zero-loss records. Shavkat was really close to becoming the champion of the division and was just one fight away from earning a title shot.

In his last fight, he defeated Ian Garry, which was the biggest win of his career. During the fight, he suffered a leg injury, and the title that was so close in front of him suddenly felt very far away. Subsequently, when he was about to make his return, he once again broke his leg during a training session.

Not just professionally but in his personal life he went through a lot. Last year he got into a divorce drama with his wife, as he and Gulaiym Rakhmonova has made decision to be separated after 10 years of marriage. Notably, all of this happened just before a serious car accident in July 2025, in which his wife and child nearly lost their lives.

And then, this month, the worst of it. On August 2, his father, Baktybai Rakhmanuly Alpamysov, passed away at 65. Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, sent a personal condolence message calling him a man who raised his son with dignity. Indeed, Shavkat is a big name in his country, and his father was well respected as he was a big supporter and played a huge role in his career.

Seeing everything that has happened with him, it’s fair to say life has been throwing everything it has at him anyway. He first missed his title shot, then broke his knee twice, a car crash that nearly took his family, a divorce playing out in public, and now burying his father. Indeed, it’s hard to think of another active UFC fighter who’s seen more tragedies in such a short time frame.

When Will Shavkat Rakhmonov Return?

In a recent interview, Rakhmonov’s coach confirmed that he is still recovering from his leg injury. As per him, they cannot say exactly when he will be ready because every injury heals differently. However, he believes ‘Nomad’ could return next year, with February 2027 being a possible time for his next fight if his recovery goes well.

“We can’t give an exact timeline for Shavkat’s return yet. Everyone recovers differently after an injury. I think he’ll be able to return next year. "In my opinion, he could be fully ready for a fight in February 2027, but for now it’s impossible to say exactly when Shavkat Rakhmonov will recover,” the coach said.

A fighter who should’ve been fighting for gold in 2025 spent most of it in a brace instead. Now it seems he will return in 2027 but no fighter looks the same after a leg injury so it will be interesting to see how he bounces back.