McGregor Sets Title Condition for Rakhmonov Fight Talk
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Conor McGregor says he would only consider fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov if the unbeaten welterweight becomes UFC champion first, dismissing any interest in the matchup while Rakhmonov recovers from injury.
Speaking at UFC 329 media day ahead of his main event rematch with Max Holloway, McGregor was asked whether he'd be interested in facing Rakhmonov given that "Nomad" beat fellow Irishman Ian Machado Garry in their last outing. McGregor was blunt about where Rakhmonov stands in his thinking.
"I know he has a heavy injury, and he's building back from that. So I'll leave him to it. I don't really think anything of him at the minute. He's got a lot of work to do. What has he got to offer me? You know he would have to acquire the title for me to even consider. He's not a bad fighter. That's it," McGregor said.
Why Rakhmonov Isn't on McGregor's Radar Right Now
Shavkat Rakhmonov has not fought since beating Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title eliminator at UFC 310 in December 2024. Rakhmonov was originally booked to challenge then-champion Belal Muhammad, but Muhammad withdrew with a bone infection and Garry stepped in on short notice, only to suffer the first loss of his career.
Since that win, Rakhmonov's path back to the Octagon has been a mess. He dealt with a meniscus injury and a partial ACL tear, then aimed for a return in the first or second quarter of 2026 before reinjuring the same knee and needing another surgery. He was pulled from the UFC rankings earlier this year as a result. Training footage has shown him doing light sparring and pad work, but no return date has been set.
What This Means for McGregor's Own Comeback
Conor McGregor is focused squarely on his own return after years of setbacks, and that context shapes his lack of urgency about Rakhmonov. McGregor hasn't competed since the leg injury he suffered in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021. A planned comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024 fell apart when a toe injury in sparring forced him out. Now he's set to run it back with Max Holloway in the UFC 329 main event, his first fight in years.
Given that timeline, McGregor's stance makes sense from a leverage standpoint. He's not chasing a fight with an injured, unranked contender who has no title to offer him. By setting the bar at "acquire the title," McGregor keeps the door open without committing to anything, while also subtly needling Rakhmonov's stalled momentum.
Betting Angle
There's no market to speak of here since Rakhmonov has no return date and McGregor hasn't fought yet, but the comments matter for how oddsmakers and bettors should view McGregor's next chapter. If McGregor gets past Holloway at UFC 329, his stated price for taking a Rakhmonov fight, a welterweight title, signals he's still thinking in terms of premium, needle-moving matchups rather than any name in the win column. That keeps him out of the Rakhmonov conversation for the foreseeable future and worth watching once Rakhmonov is medically cleared and back in the rankings.
