Shavkat
Rakhmonov shouldn't be underestimated when he returns,
according to one of the Kazakh's former foes.

Rakhmonov (19-0) hasn't fought in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship since defeating Ian Garry in
December 2024. While Rakhmonov was expected to fight for the title
next, he suffered a knee injury, forcing a lengthy stint on the
sidelines. The welterweight title has since changed hands multiple
times, with Jack
Della Maddalena beating Belal
Muhammad to win it before losing the belt to Islam
Makhachev, who successfully defended it against Garry at
UFC
330.

Rakhmonov appears to be making progress with his recovery and
Stephen
Thompson claims “Nomad†will bounce back even better.

Shavkat Rakhmonov remains a major UFC welterweight threat
despite lengthy absence

The long layoff saw Rakhmonov get dropped from the official UFC
welterweight rankings, effectively removing him from discourse
regarding the title mix. However, Thompson, who suffered a
submission loss to Rakhmonov in 2023, warns that the latter
shouldn't be underestimated.

Thompson notes that just because Rakhmonov hasn't competed doesn't
mean he hasn't been training. “Wonderboy†believes he will return
from the injury with a stronger mindset.

“Huge threat,†Thompson told Home of Fight. “The guy is very
skillful everywhere. Just because you don't see this guy fighting,
a lot of people think he's not been training. This dude has been a
through-and-through martial artist since day one. That's all he
does is train. Don't underestimate this guy coming back. I feel
like he's gonna come back even better, a stronger mindset, stronger
fighter spirit. He's looking for blood.â€

👀 Stephen “Wonderboy†Thompson believes
Shavkat
Rakhmonov will return to the welterweight division more
dangerous than ever.

“People think because he was injured he wasn't training— don't get
it twisted. The longer he's been out, the more dangerous he's
becoming.

Don't be… pic.twitter.com/u4S6bBVlpm

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
August 18, 2026

Henry
Cejudo believes the
Ultimate Fighting Championship might look to avoid handing
Ian
Garry another title shot.

Garry (17-2) challenged Islam
Makhachev (29-1) for the welterweight title at UFC
330, where the challenger gave the champ one of his toughest
tests despite coming up short on the judges' scorecards. In the
aftermath, the Irishman faced severe backlash for his mid-fight
camaraderie and has now drawn criticism from Cejudo for not
promoting the bout and largely staying quiet in the build-up.

Henry Cejudo says Ian Garry ‘missed all the boxes' against
Islam Makhachev at UFC 330

Garry was widely mocked for comments made during a podcast
appearance before fight week and seemingly wanted to avoid
controversy ahead of the bout. He even asked reporters to steer
clear of certain topics at media day and was booed relentlessly at
the pre-fight presser and ceremonial weigh-ins. “The Futureâ€
constantly involving his son in pre-fight obligations was also
criticized.

Furthermore, Garry was perhaps far too respectful during the fight,
sharing an embrace with the champion before the final round. Both
Makhachev and UFC CEO Dana
White later claimed that such niceties are unnecessary and
potentially affect the intensity of the bout.

Cejudo doubts if Garry will ever fight for a UFC title again.
“Triple C†believes the former
Cage Warriors champ didn't sell the fight well and messed up in
all aspects in his maiden UFC title shot. The former two-division
titleholder also believes the 28-year-old is disillusioned if he
thinks he has ample time to become a champion.

“After a performance like that, do you think the UFC is going to
give him an opportunity to fight for the title again?†Cejudo told
MMA Junkie. “He didn’t really sell the fight and it was just too
kumbaya and whatnot. It was ridiculous. Dana White doesn't like
that sh*t. You heard it from him. For those fighters looking to get
his attention and looking to get paid, you have to be able to sell
the fight. Ian Garry just missed all the boxes. It was all about
his kid, his wife, his well-being, and how he's 28 years old; he
still has time to become champion. It doesn't work like that, Ian.
If I was to give Ian advice on that, ‘Bro, the time is now.'â€

Henry
Cejudo has doubts about Ian Machado
Garry ever fighting for a belt again after #UFC330.

“He didn’t really sell the fight and it was just too kumbaya and
whatnot. It was ridiculous. … Ian Garry
just missed all the boxes.”

(via @TheGoze, @MMAJunkieGeorge)
pic.twitter.com/fjX8XciNFJ

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie)
August 18, 2026

Alik
Lorenz was eager to make the most of his second
Dana White's Contender Series opportunity.

Lorenz (7-2) was knocked out in 30 seconds by Abdul-Rakhman
Yakhyaev in his Contender Series debut last year. He bounced
back with a first-round knockout in the regional scene, earning
another shot at an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract on DWCS 2026
Week 2.

Alik Lorenz rebounds from his 30-second DWCS loss by knocking
out Mahamed Aly

Lorenz took on Mahamed Aly
in a light heavyweight tilt in Week 2 of DWCS 2026. He floored his
opponent with a massive right hand in the first round and a couple
of follow-up hammer-fists were enough for the referee to step
in.

Lorenz says that he came out of his DWCS debut last year regretting
that he couldn't put his skills on display. The 29-year-old
returned this year, determined to leave it all inside the Octagon
and not go to the judges' scorecards.

“I feel amazing,†Lorenz said in his post-fight interview. “Last
year I didn't get to show anything off. So, I think that was the
biggest heartbreak. So, I made a promise to myself: I'm gonna go in
there and give everything I have. Definitely not leave it to the
judges. I just wanted to be proud of myself and the performance I
gave. And I am… We're working on everything at The MMA Lab. Nothing
in particular. Of course I need to move my feet, big guys get lazy.
We need to feint more and stuff. Just being consistent, not letting
that loss determine me.â€

DOWN GOES ALY 😳

Alik
Lorenz goes right hand into GNP for the R1 knockout!

[ #DWCS
| LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/WLXUZmDBnY

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 18, 2026

Alik Lorenz
was also confused why Mahamed Aly
didn’t use the grappling 🤣

[ #DWCS
| LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/0fVKpC8nb4

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 19, 2026