Bekzat Almakhan will be taking on Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2nd. The clash between the two will mark Almakhan’s debut in the UFC. The 26-year-old Almakhan hails from Kazakhstan and comes into the UFC with a record of 17-1. Despite Nurmagomedov’s intentions to face a ranked opponent, the promotion could only find a matchup with the newcomer for the Dagestani fighter’s return after an injury last year.

But his opponent, despite his promotional debut, comes into the fight with a record that has raised eyebrows amongst the MMA community. As such, in a thread on X by Jay Pettry of Sherdog, the fans were provided a deeper look into the record of the Kazakhstani UFC debutant.

Bekzat Almakhan and shocking revelations about his MMA record

Newly signed UFC fighter Bekzat Almakhan’s record of 17-1 ahead of his clash with Umar Nurmagomedov has caused a stir in the MMA fandom. According to the thread on X shared by Pettry, “First, record keeping in Kazakhstan is not the best. Second, the national martial art of the country, Zhekpe Zhek, is an MMA-adjacent style of combat that is technically never professional. One major differentiation between ZZ and MMA is grappling, or more specific, time limits.”

He also revealed that Almakhan’s record on Sherdog Fight Finder shows 14-1, but further investigation revealed several unrecorded wins. These wins were primarily in Zhekpe Zhek events and weren’t documented anywhere. Surprisingly, Almakhan defeated future UFC fighter Sergey Morozov at 19, a significant victory missed in his official record.

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The investigation also uncovered eight additional wins, some of which weren’t listed anywhere. These victories were mainly in Zhekpe Zhek events, identifiable by specific markings in the venues. Zhekpe Zhek matches, while similar to MMA, have unique rules, including time limits on grappling.

As such, Pettry concluded the thread by stating, ”Bekzat Almakhan will come into #UFCVegas87 with a 14-1 record on Fight Finder that may actually be 11-1. However, all of these fights actually happened, which means he has eight or 11 mixed-rules wins on his ledger as well. He is legit.”

As the fight approaches, fans are eager to see how Almakhan fares against the seasoned Nurmagomedov and whether his unconventional path to the UFC will impact his performance on fight night.

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But his opponent for the event has also recently made his thoughts clear on his frustrations on having to face a newcomer despite his ultimate goal being the UFC title!

 The ‘Young Eagle’ is frustrated with a lack of top opponents in the UFC 

Umar Nurmagomedov is gearing up for a challenging bout at UFC Fight Night 238 in Las Vegas. Despite initially seeking a ranked opponent, he’s facing promotional newcomer Bekzat Almakhan. The difficulty in securing top-tier opponents has been a source of frustration for Nurmagomedov.

As such, in a recent pre-fight interview he stated, “You can’t say, ‘He didn’t deserve, he has to fight somebody.’ How am I going to beat somebody? Like Merab (Dvalishvili) talks about this: How am I going to beat somebody if they don’t (accept) the fight.”

However, he believes he’s used that as motivation to improve and prove himself in the Octagon. And stated that he hopes a win over Almakhan will propel him toward more significant challenges and opportunities in the UFC. His comments indicate that he’s prepared to face whatever challenges come his way and prove his worth in the bantamweight division.

Do you think Umar Nurmagomedov will be able to capture a UFC title soon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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