Shavkat Rakhmonov

Scouting report

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a Kazakh welterweight who holds Master of Sport ranks in combat sambo and MMA. He fights out of Kokshetau, Kazakhstan with DAR Pro Team and Kill Cliff FC. Before the UFC he won the KZMMAF welterweight title in 2018 and the M-1 welterweight title in 2019. In the UFC he went 7-0 and finished his first six fights, a welterweight record. He beat Stephen Thompson by submission in December 2023 and Ian Machado Garry on a decision at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024.

Peak ratings

By edition

Overall is an editorial rating. It can differ from a simple average of the attributes.

Shavkat Rakhmonov: seven UFC wins and a title shot that kept slipping

He debuted at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2020, replacing Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and choked Alex Oliveira with a guillotine at 4:40 of round one at 173 pounds. His overall record is 19-0. A title fight with Belal Muhammad was set for UFC 310, but Muhammad pulled out with a foot bone infection, and Rakhmonov fought Garry in a title eliminator instead. He was injured before a UFC 315 fight with Muhammad in 2025. In January 2026 a knee injury put him out for nine to ten months.

Rakhmonov, attribute by attribute

Boxing. 88. Carlston Harris was knocked out by a spinning hook kick and punches at 4:10 of round one at UFC Fight Night 200 in February 2022, a Performance of the Night.

Kickboxing. 90. The spinning hook kick that finished Harris is the clearest example.

Wrestling. 92. His sambo background supports his wrestling. Only one of his UFC fights has gone the distance, the five rounds against Garry.

BJJ. 94, the best he has. He choked Oliveira with a guillotine, Prazeres with a rear-naked choke and Neil Magny with a guillotine at 4:58 of round two.

Strength. 88. Geoff Neal was submitted at 4:17 of round three at UFC 285 in March 2023 at a 175 pound catchweight, which won Fight of the Night.

Durability. 90. Thompson lasted until 4:56 of round two at UFC 296 in December 2023, and Rakhmonov became the first man to finish Thompson by submission.

Cardio. 92. He fought five full rounds against Garry at UFC 310 and won a unanimous decision.

Fight IQ. 92. Fights fell through around him: Bartosz Fabinski in March 2020 because of the pandemic, Ramazan Emeev in July 2020 with an injury, Neal in January 2023 and Kelvin Gastelum in July 2023.

BJJ at 94 and a perfect finishing record

Six UFC wins ended before the final bell, and the Garry decision was the first of his 19 pro wins to go to the judges. Two earned Performance of the Night and one earned Fight of the Night. His finishes include two guillotines, three rear-naked chokes and a spinning hook kick. For a draft, he is the rare pick with no obvious soft spot.

Boxing at 88 is the lowest rating, and the gap is small

Six points separate his boxing from his jiu-jitsu, so there is little to cover. The real risk is availability. He was injured and unable to fight Muhammad at UFC 315 in 2025, and a knee injury reported in January 2026 was expected to keep him out for nine to ten months and took him out of the number two ranking.

Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Shavkat Rakhmonov is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Shavkat Rakhmonov's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.