Tagir Radzhabovich Ulanbekov (russian: Тагир Раджабович Уланбеков; born July 8, 1991) is a Russian professional

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

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). He is also the former Fight Nights Global Flyweight Champion. He is one-time World champion, one-time Eurasian champion and one-time European cup winner in combat sambo, for his team SC Bazarganova. As of July 11, 2023, he is #13 in the UFC flyweight rankings.

Background

Tagir Ulanbekov was born to an Avar family on July 8, 1991, in the

Kazbekovsky District Kazbekovsky District (russian: Казбе́ковский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #16 and municipalLaw #6 district (raion), one of the forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is located in the west of the republic. The are ...

of the

Republic of Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia sit ...

. As a child, Ulanbekov began wrestling after his uncle took him to a wrestling section named after

Saypulla Absaidov Saypulla Atavovich Absaidov (; born 14 July 1958 ) is a former wrestler of Kumyk descent and Olympic champion and World Champion 1981 in Freestyle wrestling who competed for the USSR. He was born in Tarki, Dagestan ASSR. Olympics Absai ...

. When Ulanbekov was 8 years old, he moved to

Makhachkala Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...

, Dagestan. In Makhachkala, he joined the ranks of Eagles MMA and was coached by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. There, he trained alongside fighters such as

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov av, ХIабиб ГӀабдулманапил НурмухӀамадов (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division of the Ultima ...

and

Islam Makhachev Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (russian: Исла́м Рамаза́нович Маха́чев; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former Sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in ...

. Growing up, Tagir worked in the

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

, helping his mother.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ulanbekov won his first career victory over Magomednur Aglarov at the "Liga Kavkaz - Grand Umakhan Battle" tournament. He would go on to win 7 bouts in a row, and won the Fight Night Global Flyweight title, where he submitted Artan Asatryan in the fourth round via guillotine choke at Fight Nights Global 76. Ulanbekov would face defeat for the first time in his career against fellow future UFC fighter

Zhalgas Zhumagulov Zhalgas Mukhambet (born August 29, 1988) better known as Zhalgas Zhumagulov, is a retired Kazakh mixed martial artist who competed in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Zhumagulov ...

at Fight Nights Global 88, losing the close bout by majority decision. He would then compete under the banner of Gorilla Fighting Championship (Now

Eagle FC Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC), commonly referred to as Eagle FC, is a Russian mixed martial arts promotion company established in 2020 by former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It was renamed to Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC ...

), where he went 3-0 and captured the GF Flyweight Championship.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ulanbekov was scheduled to face

Bruno Gustavo da Silva Bruno Gustavo Aparecido da Silva (born 16 March 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Starting his career in 2011, Si ...

on September 12, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill. However, due to

travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and regions imposed quarantines, entry bans, or other travel restrictions for citizens of or recent travelers to the most affected areas. Some countries and regions imposed global restrictions th ...

, the pairing was rescheduled and took place four weeks later at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. Ulanbekov won the fight via unanimous decision. Ulanbekov was scheduled to face

Matheus Nicolau Matheus Nicolau Pereira (born January 6, 1993) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has also competed in the Brave Combat Federation (Brave CF) ...

on January 24, 2021 at

UFC 257 ''UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 24, 2021 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background Starting with ...

. However, Ulanbekov withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. The pairing was eventually rescheduled for

UFC Fight Night 187 ''UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 187'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 45'' and ''UFC Vegas 21'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 13, 2021 at the UF ...

. However, Ulanbekov withdrew from the bout the second time for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by

Manel Kape Manuel Pedro Gomes (born November 14, 1993) better known as Manel Kape, is an Angolan mixed martial artist currently competing as a flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly competed fo ...

. Ulanbekov was scheduled to face

Tyson Nam Tyson Ka'eo Nam (born October 6, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division for UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Nam has formerly competed for World Series of Fighting, Elite ...

on June 19, 2021, at

UFC on ESPN 25 ''UFC on ESPN: The Korean Zombie vs. Ige'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 25'' and ''UFC Vegas 29'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 19, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enter ...

. However, the bout was never officially announced by the promotion and the matchup did not take place on the card due to an undisclosed illness for Ulanbekov. Ulanbekov faced Allan Nascimento on October 30, 2021, at

UFC 267 ''UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 30, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background This event took plac ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Ulanbekov faced

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Flyweight (MMA), Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Titan FC Titan Fighting Champions ...

on March 5, 2022, at

UFC 272 ''UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 5, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. 12 out of 17 media scores gave it to Ulanbekov. Ulanbekov was scheduled to face

on June 25, 2022, at

UFC on ESPN 38 ''UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 38'' and ''UFC Vegas 57'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 25, 2022, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise ...

but pulled out due to undisclosed injury. Ulanbekov faced

Nate Maness Nate Maness (born June 27, 1991), is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Maness made his amateur debut in 2013, winning four bou ...

on November 5, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 214 ''UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 214, UFC on ESPN+ 72'' and ''UFC Vegas 64'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 5, 2022 at the UFC Ap ...

. He won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round. Ulanbekov is scheduled to face Cody Durden on December 16, 2023, at UFC 296.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

* Fight Night Global ** Fight Night Global Flyweight Championship (One time) * Gorilla Fighting Championship (Now Eagle FC) ** GF Flyweight Championship (One time) ***Two successful title defences

Sambo

*European Combat Sambo Federation (ECSF) **European Combat Sambo Championship-Kishinev, Moldova (2012) at 57kg **European Cup in Combat Sambo among Clubs-Yalta, Crimea (2012) at 57kg representing SC Bazarganova **Combat Sambo Eurasia Championship-Yalta, Crimea (2014) at 57kg *World Combat Sambo Federation (WCSF) **World Combat Sambo Championship-Moscow, Russia (2014) at 57kg

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 14–2 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,

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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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Allan Nascimento , Decision (split) ,

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Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

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, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Denilson Matos , Submission (guillotine choke) , Gorilla Fighting 22 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:18 ,

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Denis Araujo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Gorilla Fighting 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:19 ,

Atyrau Atyrau ( kk, Атырау, ', ; russian: Атырау, ), known until 1991 as Guryev (russian: Гурьев, ), is a city in Kazakhstan and the capital of Atyrau Region. Atyrau is a transcontinental city, at the mouth of the Ural River on the Cas ...

, Kazakhstan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Aleksandr Podlesniy , Decision (unanimous) , Gorilla Fighting 11 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Penza Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-l ...

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Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

, Kazakhstan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Vartan Asatryan , Submission (guillotine choke) , Fight Nights Global 76 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 1:39 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Shajidul Haque , Decision (unanimous) , Fight Nights Global 65 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Kazakhstan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Assu Almabaev , TKO (submission to punches) , Fight Nights Global 58 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:51 ,

Kaspiysk Kaspiysk (russian: Каспи́йск; lbe, Ккасппи; av, Каспиялъухъ) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the f ...

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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, 4–0 , Alexander Nesterov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Pride Fighting Show: The Stars of World MMA , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 ,

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

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Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Nurtilek Yerkuatuly , Submission (armbar) , Liga Kavkaz: Battle in Babayurt , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:48 ,

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Magomednur Aglarov , Submission (armbar) , Liga Kavkaz: Grand Umakhan Battle , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:50 ,

Khunzakh Khunzakh ( av, Хунзахъ, , russian: Хунзах) is a rural locality (a '' selo'') and the administrative center of Khunzakhsky District in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located in the North Caucasus mountains above sea level. Populati ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ulanbekov, Tagir 1991 births Living people People from Kazbekovsky District Dagestani mixed martial artists Russian male mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Russian sambo practitioners