Rakhmonov accuses Usman, Covington of 'empty call-outs' for UFC 310

Shavkat Rakhmonov might be further from getting a replacement for UFC 310 than we thought.

Rakhmonov has been trying to secure a new opponent for the Dec. 7 pay-per-view event since welterweight champion Belal Muhammad's withdrawal in late October. Rakhmonov said he would ideally like to face Kamaru Usman for the interim title.

Usman expressed interest in the short-notice matchup, but Rakhmonov on Monday accused the former champion of not being true to his word.

"All I hear are empty callouts," Rakhmonov wrote on X. "No real intention, no action. Just posturing for the media and fans."

Rakhmonov also tagged Colby Covington in his post. Covington told Submission Radio last week that he offered to step in against Rakhmonov at UFC 310, but the promotion had "other plans."

Covington responded to Rakhmonov's message in a video on Instagram:

Rakhmonov, ranked No. 3 in the division, most recently stepped into the Octagon when he submitted Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson last December. The 30-year-old Kazakh fighter burst onto the UFC scene in 2020 and has won six bouts in a row. Rakhmonov holds an 18-0 pro record with a 100% finish rate.