UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, who has not fought since December 2024, is hinting at a return to the Octagon.

Rakhmonov has dealt with injuries for the better part of two seasons, which has kept him out of the UFC Octagon since then.

However, it appears that things are finally looking up for the Kazakhstan native, who appears poised to return to the cage next year.

Shavkat Rakhmonov Teases UFC Return

Taking to his social media, Rakhmonov teased a return to the Octagon after two years away.

“Shavkat Rakhmonov is expecting to return in 2027, per his IG story He hasn’t fought since December 2024.”

🚨 Shavkat Rakhmonov is expecting to return in 2027, per his IG story

He hasn’t fought since December 2024

Shavkat Rakhmonov Is a UFC Welterweight Title Contender

Before he had his long layoff due to injury, Rakhmonov was one of the top UFC welterweight title contenders and he would have fought for the belt by now had he not gotten hurt.

The 32-year-old welterweight stud is 19-0 in his MMA career with a 7-0 UFC record. That includes a notable win over Ian Machado Garry in Rakhmonov’s last fight at UFC 310 in December 2024, the last time we saw him fight.

He also holds notable UFC victories over Geoff Neal, Stephen Thompson, and Neil Magny.

Out of Rakhmonov’s 19 career wins, 18 of them came by knockout, with his only decision coming against Machado Garry in his last fight in a five-round bout. Otherwise, Rakhmonov has finished everyone else in his way inside the cage.

When Rakhmonov does eventually return to action next year, look for him to get paired up against another top welterweight contender, as he would likely need one win before he gets his long-awaited title shot.

Speculatively speaking, don’t be surprised if Rakhmonov gets matched up against a former UFC welterweight champion such as Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad, or Jack Della Maddalena for his next fight.

Despite all the time off, the UFC matchmakers know how talented Rakhmonov is, so they won’t give him a cupcake in his comeback.

With UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev likely retiring after one or two more fights, Rakhmonov has a great opportunity to get right back into the title mix next year.