Injuries have a cruel way of derailing momentum at the worst possible times in fighting. Fighters train for months, build their record, earn their title shot, and then their body betrays them. This is the case with Shavkat Rakhmonov.<\/p>
He has been stuck watching from the sidelines since his unanimous decision victory over Ian Garry at UFC 310 last December. That win kept his undefeated record intact. But he has been out of action since then. Now Rakhmonov gave his take on who he wants to fight next, and he has no problem proving he’s the rightful number one contender.<\/p>
Many fans and analysts still view Rakhmonov as the rightful top contender at welterweight, and for good reason. He was originally scheduled to challenge then-champion Belal Muhammad at UFC<\/a> 310 before Muhammad withdrew with a toe injury. Instead of waiting, Rakhmonov fought Garry and handed the Irish star his first professional loss. <\/p> The welterweight division hasn’t waited around for Rakhmonov to heal. Islam Makhachev now holds the title after moving up from lightweight and defeating Jack Della Maddalena. Kamaru Usman keeps talking about comebacks. Michael Morales is on an absolute tear, destroying everyone in his path. Carlos Prates is another great prospect. And Garry, now #2, insists he deserves the next title shot<\/a> regardless of losing to Rakhmonov in their first meeting. When asked who he wants next by Ariel Helwani, this is what he stated:<\/p> “Yes, I would prefer to fight for the title next, but I saw this timeline will not work for Islam in February or March, and he will look to fight in April or May. If I can fight Islam next, I’m ready. But if I have to fight again before the title shot, I have no problem proving I’m the rightful No. 1 contender. Whoever is on my timeline and whoever will put me in the title spot again, I will fight.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>