Shavkat
Rakhmonov isn’t ready to say that his
Ultimate Fighting Championship career is over, but the unbeaten
welterweight admits his return is far from guaranteed.

Rakhmonov has been sidelined since defeating Ian Garry in
December 2024. He entered that bout with a knee injury and it left
a long-lasting impact. In a new interview, he reflected on the
fight and where he stands in the 170-pound division.

Shavkat Rakhmonov details the knee injury that has kept him
sidelined since beating Ian Garry

“Nomad†admits that he should not have competed with his injury. He
also took a shot at Dagestani stars Khabib
Nurmagomedov and Islam
Makhachev, claiming they would never fight injured.

“Well, that's my problem; I couldn't fight,†Rakhmonov told Alf
Global. “If I had fought, I could've become champion, but that's
how it turned out. I was injured. What can I do? We are only human.
I actually shouldn't even have fought Ian Garry at
all. With injuries like that, I shouldn't have fought at all; I
just took a risk. That's the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring.
They're not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter
like Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would've
refused.â€

Rakhmonov then delved deeper into how his injury worsened during
the Garry fight.

“I already had an injury going into the Ian Garry fight,†he added.
“I stepped in; I hadn't fought for a year; I wanted to fight. That
old injury was still bothering me a lot. My leg was swollen. And
when he was striking me, it was probably because I completely
lacked a ligament. I couldn't really feel that strike, in
general.â€

Salahdine
Parnasse made a statement in his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The former two-division
KSW champion stopped Dan Hooker
with a body kick and follow-up strikes in the first round of the

UFC Paris main event. Parnasse subsequently reiterated his
claim that he's already one of the best in the world.

Salahdine Parnasse targets Max Holloway after stopping Dan
Hooker at UFC Paris

Parnasse carried a five-fight win streak into his Octagon debut and
is high in confidence after a near-perfect introduction to UFC
fans. He was in good spirits after the fight, claiming that his
performance reflects just how dangerous he is to other UFC
lightweights.

“I threw the kick and then I threw a punch and to be honest with
you, I got to rewatch the fight, but I don't remember exactly
everything,†Parnasse said in a post-fight interview. “I showed
that I'm one of the best in the world, I showed that I'm dangerous
and I'm here.â€

The Frenchman also called for a matchup with former UFC champion
Max
Holloway, emphasizing that the request comes from admiration
rather than disrespect.

“Like I said, I want to fight Max Holloway; I know he's a legend,â€
Parnasse added. “This is not trash talking; this is just a dream
that I've had for a long time and out of respect, I really want to
face a legend like Max.â€

“I showed I’m one of the best in the
world.â€

Salahdine
Parnasse (@SalahdineP)
reflects on his stunning debut win and why he is eyeing a fight
with Max
Holloway next. #UFCParis

Complete Main Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/rTS0rD35zw

Official Scorecards: https://t.co/pFOqE8bTcI pic.twitter.com/RWlkTCTH4T

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
September 5, 2026

Oumar
Sy wanted to give French fans a stoppage win to celebrate,
resulting in his loss.

Sy was a -210 favorite going into his
Ultimate Fighting Championship clash against Modestas
Bukauskas in front of a home crowd at
UFC Paris. He now admits that chasing the finish led to his
defeat.

Oumar Sy says pursuing a stoppage against Modestas Bukauskas
contributed to his UFC Paris defeat

Sy dominated Bukauskas in the first round, landing brutal elbows
towards the end of the round with referee Jason Herzog watching
very closely. Bukauskas was barely saved by the bell, with Herzog
warning him to defend himself. While Sy started the second round
with the same dominance, Bukauskas was able to return to his feet
and defend a desperate takedown attempt. Bukauskas then dropped Sy
with a knee and rained vicious follow-up shots to earn a shocking
upset win.

Sy apologized to his fans, whom he wanted to give a stoppage win.
However, he assures that the loss won't deter him from pursuing his
goals and that he will only bounce back stronger.

“To those of you who support me in victory and defeat alike, I want
to offer my apologies,†Sy wrote on Instagram. “I wanted to give
you a win; I wanted to secure the finish and leave the cage with a
positive result. MMA isn't just a sport to me. It's my life. It
involves sacrifices, doubts, pain, giving things up, and
battles—but I chose this life. I will always give my all to achieve
my goals. This loss changes nothing regarding my intentions or what
I am willing to do to keep moving forward. The journey continues.
This loss is part of my story, but it will never define what comes
next. We will come back better and stronger than before.â€

While Sy (12-3) was a highly touted undefeated prospect when he
joined the UFC in 2024, he has gone 3-3 in the promotion. This was
Sy's second consecutive stoppage loss, following a submission
defeat to Ion
Cutelaba this past March.