Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (russian: Довлетджан Ягшимурадов; ; born 22 May 1989) is a Turkmenistani

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes in the

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

division of the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

. He has also competed in

Absolute Championship Akhmat Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

(ACA), where he was the ACA Light Heavyweight Champion.

Biography

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov was born in the city of

Türkmenabat Türkmenabat ( tk, Türkmenabat, Түркменабат), formerly and since medieval times Chardzhou, (russian: Чарджоу, ''Chardzhou''; tk, Çärjew, links=no, ) ( fa, چهارجوی 'čahârjuy', meaning 'four brooks') and in ancient ti ...

, but grew up in a nearby village. At the age of six, in addition to going to school-where he studied at the 1st comprehensive school in his native village-he signed up for a karate lessons After several years of training, Yagshimuradov became one of the best karatekas among his peers, taking the under-11 championship and eventually winning gold at the national level tournament. In the 7th grade, he switched to kickboxing. Upon reaching the age of eligibility, Yagshimuradov joined the army, and after demobilization, he lived in his homeland for a little less than a year and left for Kharkov to pursue his college education. At the age of 17, Yagshimuradov went to serve in the

Armed Forces of Turkmenistan The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan ( tk, Türkmenistanyň Ýaragly Güýçleri), known informally as the Turkmen National Army () is the national military of Turkmenistan. It consists of the Turkmen Ground Forces, Ground Forces, the Turkmen Air F ...

. He has the title of senior sergeant. Yagshimuradov has resided in Kharkiv, Ukraine for the last twelve years, constructing a life with his kin and made a living as a fighter and entrepreneur. He managed two ventures and was a businessman with three different diplomas, including a bachelor's degree in economics and law conferred by

Kharkiv National University of Economics Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics ( uk, Харківський національний економічний університет імені Семена Кузнеця) is the largest economic higher educational and res ...

in 2015.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

As a student, in 2011, Dovletdzhan began to visit the hall where combat sports were taught. In March 2012, Yagshimuradov was asked to compete at the Oplot Challenge 1 tournament against the Czech Rudolf Kriz, which started the path of the Turkmen fighter in mixed martial arts. His first fight ended in a draw, and in his next seven performances, Yagshimuradov got 4 wins and 3 losses. This was explained by the fact that, due to inexperience, Dovlet did not think about a sports career, he went to fights on a week's notice, but later the situation changed. At the end of his studies at the university, he went on a five-fight winning streak and had "gold" behind him in the light heavyweight tournament. The native of Chardzhou held his last fight in OC against

Magomed Ankalaev Magomed Alibulatovich Ankalaev (russian: Магоме́д Алибула́тович Анкала́ев; born 2 June 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate F ...

, losing to him by decision, and then a serious career rise awaited him. Having spent one fight under the auspices of the RFP, and knocking out Maxim Kushnerenko in 27 seconds, Yagshimuradov was invited to M-1, where he was defeated by Mikhail Rogozin. The failure was followed by success and, having obtained another victory, with a record of 11-5 and one draw, the fighter signed a contract with

Absolute Championship Akhmat

The first fight took place abroad - in Austria at ACB 52, where Dovlet finished Dan Konecki. This was followed by victories over Jared Torgeson at ACB 62 and

Joachim Christensen Joachim Christensen (born November 7, 1978) is a retired Danish mixed martial artist. He was the Superior Challenge light heavyweight champion, as well as the German Mixed Martial Arts Championship (GMC) light heavyweight champion. He also comp ...

at ACB 75, the knockout of which was marked by a bonus, as the best of the evening. At ACB 79: Aguev vs. Alfaya, Dovlet faced Luis Fernando Miranda in a title eliminator, defeating Miranda by the way of knockout in just a minute of the fight, and less than 4 months later at ACB 86, a duel for the belt took place. The confrontation with Batraz Agnaev ended in Yagshimuradov submitting Agnaev via rear-naked choke in the third round, winning the bout and ACB Light Heavyweight Championship. On February 16, 2019, at ACA 92: Yagshimuradov vs. Celiński, Yagshimuradov faced Karol Celińskt for inaugural ACA Light Heavyweight Championship after the league was renamed, winning the bout and title via TKO in round fourth. On December 14, 2019, at ACA 103: Yagshimuradov vs. Butorin, Dovlet defended the AСA Light Heavyweight title against Alexey Butorin, winning the fight via unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA

In December 2020, Dovletdzhan signed a contract with the

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

. Dovletdzhan was scheduled to made his Bellator debut on April 9, 2021, at

Bellator 256 Bellator 256: Bader vs. Machida 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 9, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Background The event was headlined by a Quarterfinal of the Bellator ...

against Corey Anderson in quarterfinal round of Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. On March 26, it was announced that the bout would be moved to

Bellator 257 Bellator 257: Nemkov vs. Davis 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 16, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Background The event was headlined by two of the Quarterfinals of the B ...

on April 16. He lost the bout via third-round technical knockout. Dovletdzhan faced Karl Albektsson at

Bellator 268 Bellator 268: Nemkov vs. Anglickas (also known as ''Bellator Phoenix'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on October 16, 2021, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The eve ...

on October 16, 2021, losing the bout via unanimous decision. Yagshimuradov was scheduled to face Tony Johnson at

Bellator 277 ''Bellator 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 15, 2022, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, United States. Background The event was headlined by a rematch between ...

on April 15, 2022. However, due to an injury, Johnson was forced to pull out and was replaced by former

Bellator Middleweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

Rafael Carvalho Rafael Carvalho de Souza (born 27 July 1986) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions of Bellator MMA, where he was a former Bellator Middleweight World Champion. As o ...

. Dovletdzhan won the bout in the second round via TKO. Dovletdzhan faced

Julius Anglickas Julius Anglickas (born May 2, 1993) is a Lithuanian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Bellator MMA. As of October 10, 2023, he is #7 in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Rankings. Background Born in Plungė, ...

Bellator 292 ''Bellator 292: Nurmagomedov vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on March 10, 2023, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, United States. Background To kick off the $1 million Bellator L ...

on March 10, 2023. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Dovletdzhan faced Maciej Różański on October 7, 2023, at Bellator 300. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

PFL

Dovletdzhan started the 2024 season against Jakob Nedoh on April 12, 2024 at PFL 2. He won the fight in the first round by technical knockout.

Championships and accomplishments

** ACA Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; First) ***One successful title defense *

Absolute Championship Berkut Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

** ACB Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; Last) **Knockout of the Night (One times) vs.

on November 25, 2017 *Oplot Challenge **OC 2012-2013 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 23–7–1 , Simon Biyong , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 5 (2024) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

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Karl Albrektsson Karl Albrektsson ( sv , Karl Albrektsson, (born September 27, 1993), is a Swedish mixed martial arts fighter, competing in the Light Heavyweight division of Bellator MMA. He has been performing at a professional level since 2012, and he is als ...

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5–1 , Alexey Butorin , Decision (unanimous) , ACA 103: Yagshimuradov vs. Butorin , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5–1 , Karol Celinski , TKO (punches) , ACA 92: Yagshimuradov vs. Celiński , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 4:16 ,

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–1 , Batraz Agnaev , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ACB 86: Balaev vs. Raisov 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:44 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 , Luis Fernando Miranda , KO (punch) , ACB 79: Aguev vs. Alfaya , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:03 ,

Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–1 ,

, KO (punch) , ACB 75: Gadzhidaudov vs. Zielinski , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5–1 , Jared Torgeson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ACB 62: Stepanyan vs. Cruz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:39 ,

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5–1 , Dan Konecke , TKO (knee and punches) , ACB 52: Another Level of MMA Fighting , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:44 ,

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, Austria , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5–1 , Vitaliy Onishchenko , Decision (unanimous) , World Warriors FC: Warriors Honor 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Nazran , ''Näsare'') is the largest city in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia. It served as the republic's capital in 1991–2000, until it was replaced with Magas, which was specially built for this purpose. It is the most populous city in the republic: ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, , Maxim Kushnerenko , KO (punch) , Real Fight Promotion: West Fight 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:27 ,

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Magomed Ankalaev Magomed Alibulatovich Ankalaev (russian: Магоме́д Алибула́тович Анкала́ев; born 2 June 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate F ...

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