Conor McGregor has put a hard condition on any future fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov: win the title first, or the discussion stops there. Speaking at his pre-fight press conference on Wednesday, McGregor said he would not even consider Rakhmonov as an opponent unless the unbeaten welterweight becomes champion.
The timing matters because McGregor is set to return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on Saturday night, ending a five-year absence from the UFC picture. He said he had two fights left on his UFC contract, and the next steps around his comeback are now being read through that narrow window. With McGregor back in the spotlight, every name he mentions is being treated as a possible map of what comes after Holloway.
Rakhmonov is not an ordinary placeholder. He is unbeaten in professional MMA with a 19-0 record and a 7-0 UFC mark, and he beat Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in a five-round UFC welterweight title eliminator at UFC 310 in December 2024. Before injury interrupted his run, he was listed at number 2 in the UFC Welterweight rankings, which is why his name still carries weight even without a fresh fight date attached to it.
McGregor, though, made clear that current form alone is not enough. He said he did not really think anything of Rakhmonov at the minute, adding that the fighter has a lot of work to do and that he is building back from a heavy injury. A January report said a knee issue would keep Rakhmonov out for 9 to 10 months, and he has not fought since December 2024. That leaves the unbeaten contender in an awkward place: good enough to be discussed, not yet far enough along to force McGregor's hand.
That is the friction in McGregor's answer. On paper, Rakhmonov is one of the few unbeaten names in the division, but McGregor's rule turns the matchup into a title-only proposition. Unless Rakhmonov returns soon, runs through the division and picks up the belt, the fight McGregor was asked about stays hypothetical. For now, the calendar is moving toward UFC 329 and McGregor's comeback, while Rakhmonov's next date remains unconfirmed.
The practical reading is simple: McGregor has narrowed the field, and Rakhmonov is not on it unless he becomes champion first. If that does happen, the matchup changes shape fast. If it does not, McGregor's remaining fights on his contract will likely be spent against someone else.
