Bekzat Almakhan
Kazakhstan
Shines in first UFC victory
Almakhan defeated Brad Katona via KO (punches) at 1:04 of Round 1 at UFC 315 on Saturday in Montreal.
ANALYSIS
Almakhan made his UFC debut in March 2024 against Umar Nurmagomedov in an impossible spot. He scored a Round 1 knockdown before being completely overwhelmed the rest of the way. That power was on display again tonight, except this time around, he was able to get his opponent out of there. With 10 of his 12 career wins coming via knockout, it's clear Almakhan's greatest weapon is the thunder in his hands. His future development will be interesting to watch because there's a ton of fighters in the bantamweight division better than Katona but very few as good as Nurmagomedov.
Almakhan made his UFC debut in March 2024 against Umar Nurmagomedov in an impossible spot. He scored a Round 1 knockdown before being completely overwhelmed the rest of the way. That power was on display again tonight, except this time around, he was able to get his opponent out of there. With 10 of his 12 career wins coming via knockout, it's clear Almakhan's greatest weapon is the thunder in his hands. His future development will be interesting to watch because there's a ton of fighters in the bantamweight division better than Katona but very few as good as Nurmagomedov.
Fight Log
Loading Fight Log...
More Fantasy News
Scheduled for pay-per-view
Almakhan is scheduled to compete against fellow bantamweight Brad Katona at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Even though Almakhan was overwhelmed in his UFC debut, it was against an eventual bantamweight championship challenger, so the aforementioned fight's loser has warranted another fight. This time, it comes against a longtime veteran who went 1-2 in 2024.
Even though Almakhan was overwhelmed in his UFC debut, it was against an eventual bantamweight championship challenger, so the aforementioned fight's loser has warranted another fight. This time, it comes against a longtime veteran who went 1-2 in 2024.
Overwhelmed in UFC debut
Almakhan lost to Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (25-30, 26-30, 26-30) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
This ended up being a rout, but Almakhan was responsible for the biggest moment of the fight, a Round 1 knockdown which had Nurmagomedov, a -1400 favorite, in all sorts of trouble. Unfortunately for Bekzar, Umar was able to grab ahold of a leg afterwards, and Bekzar generated zero offense the rest of the way. Seriously. He landed just five total strikes. It's difficult to get a long-term read on Almakhan here. He accepted this fight just a few weeks ago and was going up against the guy many feel is the best bantamweight in the world. Sure, Nurmagomedov's wrestling overwhelmed him, but no 135-pounder on the UFC roster can grapple like, or with Umar. We should get a better gage on Almakhan's future potential after his next fight.
This ended up being a rout, but Almakhan was responsible for the biggest moment of the fight, a Round 1 knockdown which had Nurmagomedov, a -1400 favorite, in all sorts of trouble. Unfortunately for Bekzar, Umar was able to grab ahold of a leg afterwards, and Bekzar generated zero offense the rest of the way. Seriously. He landed just five total strikes. It's difficult to get a long-term read on Almakhan here. He accepted this fight just a few weeks ago and was going up against the guy many feel is the best bantamweight in the world. Sure, Nurmagomedov's wrestling overwhelmed him, but no 135-pounder on the UFC roster can grapple like, or with Umar. We should get a better gage on Almakhan's future potential after his next fight.
Tough challenge for UFC debut
Almakhan is scheduled to compete against Umar Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight fight at UFC Vegas 87 on March 2, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Upon signing with the UFC, Almakhan is tasked with competing against an undefeated Nurmagomedov, who was previously slated to fight a top-five bantamweight before undergoing shoulder surgery. The promotion seems high on him already, and there may be good reason as to why. He signed with the UFC after going 17-1 with 15 finishes, 13 of them KO/TKOs. A win over Nurmagomedov would undeniably solidify Almakhan as an immediate threat in the UFC's bantamweight division.
Upon signing with the UFC, Almakhan is tasked with competing against an undefeated Nurmagomedov, who was previously slated to fight a top-five bantamweight before undergoing shoulder surgery. The promotion seems high on him already, and there may be good reason as to why. He signed with the UFC after going 17-1 with 15 finishes, 13 of them KO/TKOs. A win over Nurmagomedov would undeniably solidify Almakhan as an immediate threat in the UFC's bantamweight division.