Dana White announced that Islam Makhachev would be taking on Jack Della Maddalena next for the welterweight championship, which means Shavkat Rakhmonov will have to wait for his shot at the title. As he’s currently nursing an injury, the Kazakh star has vowed to come back and win the strap when he does make his way inside the Octagon. Meanwhile, there were some speculations going on that ‘Nomad’ may not get a title fight when he returns.
Instead, there are rumors that Shavkat Rakhmonov could find himself fighting Belal Muhammad. UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik fueled the rumors when he claimed that’s the direction Dana White and his matchmaking team are headed towards. “Belal vs Shavkat in October. There’s your breaking news,” Anik stated on his YouTube podcast with co-host Kenny Florian. However, that doesn’t seem to be accurate, according to ‘Nomad’s manager.
When the word reached Shavkat Rakhmonov‘s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, he dismissed all those rumors, claiming, “Lol no it’s not,” on social media. He also appeared critical of Jon Anik and his “journalism” skills and even blasted the online MMA enthusiast who shared the news on social media. Rubenstein did not hold back even a bit while sharing his critical remarks.
“What’s it called when it’s never been even remotely brought up in any conversation with the UFC? Kevin’s not a ‘workhorse’ he’s a hack,” Shavkat Rakhmonov’s manager added. “Anik said it in jest, he has no desire to do any real journalism, he throws a dart and prays I don’t see his tweet to prove him wrong, yet again.” It looked like Jon Anik didn’t like the tonality of Rubenstein’s remarks, as he wrote, “LOL tone is critical,” as a response.
lol no it’s not https://t.co/4ZCYlqFIjp
— Daniel Rubenstein (@dannyrube) May 25, 2025
It is understandable why the undefeated star’s manager appears to be livid with the rumor since Shavkat Rakhmonov lost his chance to fight for the belt due to factors out of his control. Despite the setback and the fact that Jack Della Maddalena is now gearing up to fight Islam Makhachev, the Kazakh star remains undeterred in his plans to achieve his goal and even sent a message to the new champion.
Shavkat Rakhmonov’s message to Jack Della Maddalena
Jack Della Maddalena perhaps surprised everyone with how well he dominated Belal Muhammad in their five-round war. He stuffed the former champ’s takedown attempts and landed many strong and precise strikes, earning the welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory. Even Shavkat Rakhmonov was impressed with the Aussie star’s performance and lauded him on it, but not without a warning.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is hellbent on getting his title shot and is hopeful that the opportunity will fall in his lap one day, as it did for UFC 315 before he got injured. On that note, the Kazakh national stated, “Congratulations to JDM. It was great performance after long layover and injuries. You know I’m the real challenge at 170. Sooner or later my time will come,” on social media.
Well, things only get official when we hear from Dana White, so until we get the nod from the head honcho, we can’t be too sure of anything. This would have been a great fight for Belal Muhammad, as a win would have helped him make a case for a rematch against Jack Della Maddalena, but it seems like it isn’t happening. Meanwhile, Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t addressed this particular rumor like his manager did. But what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
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