UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena believes Shavkat Rakhmonov‘s position as a top contender is in jeopardy due to inactivity, sparking a response from Rakhmonov himself.
Della Maddalena is set to defend his title for the first time on June 8th, while several other top welterweights are scheduled to compete in the coming weeks. Sean Brady will face Michael Morales in a featured bout, and Ian Garry is slated to fight former champion Belal Muhammad in the UFC Qatar main event the following week. former champion kamaru Usman recently defeated Joaquin buckley, further complicating the landscape of potential challengers. Della Maddalena believes these upcoming fights will clarify the order of contenders. “I think the next few weeks is a good time for the welterweights,” Della Maddalena said. “It’s all the top guys are fighting each other. The next few weeks, we’re going to see who in the top 5, they’ll all pretty much lay out the order of who’s next.It’s exciting who the top contenders are.”
Rakhmonov was previously scheduled to face Muhammad in May but withdrew due to injury, opening the door for Della Maddalena to claim the title.Della Maddalena suggests Rakhmonov could be overlooked if he doesn’t return to action and secure another win in early 2026. He emphasized the importance of staying active in the division, stating, “I think activity is key. You sit on the sidelines too long, you definitely fall behind.”
Rakhmonov responded to Della Maddalena’s comments on Twitter, though the content of that response was not immediately available.
