After an extended period of time on the shelf due to a knee injury, it would appear as if we are finally getting closer and closer to seeing the return of Shavkat Rakhmonov.

For the longest time, Shavkat Rakhmonov was seen as the boogeyman of the welterweight division, and rightfully so. He looked incredibly impressive every single time he went out there and fought, but when he was positioned to fight for the world title, an injury to Belal Muhammad meant that he would not get to make the walk in an attempt to win the gold.

From there, Shavkat Rakhmonov himself started to go through some injury problems, and after re-aggravating it, he was put out of action indefinitely. Nobody really knew if and when he was going to return, but thankfully, it feels like we could be heading back towards a world where he is active after recent training footage surfaced.

The big question, of course, is where does Shavkat Rakhmonov stand in the current welterweight climate?

The return of Shavkat Rakhmonov

One of the main issues that Shavkat is going to face is just how stacked the welterweight division has become in his absence. While he may have been the number one contender once upon a time, that’s no longer the case.

Ian Machado Garry appears to be on the verge of being named as the next challenger for Islam Makhachev. Beyond that, you have Carlos Prates, Michael Morales and Sean Brady who are all coming off the back of big wins, so logistically, it makes sense for Rakhmonov to slot in somewhere around that spot.

In equal measure, some will feel like he himself has earned a title shot due to his previous win over Machado Garry. Alas, when you are away from the cage as long as he has been, it feels like you need to prove that you can shake off the ring rust and really mix it up with the elite at 170 pounds again.

Get ready, folks, because this already stacked division could be about to get even crazier in the months ahead.