Azamat Bekoev
King Pin
Russia
Submits as monumental favorite
Bekoev lost to Tresean Gore via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 3:27 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Getting knocked out by Yousri Belgaroui as a -310 favorite last October is one thing. Getting choked unconscious by Gore as a -700 favorite here is another thing entirely. Bekoev was responsible for the biggest moment of the night with a Round 1 knockdown. Yet, he wasn't able to get the uber-tough Gore out of there, and he quickly gassed out afterwards. Gore piled on the pressure the rest of the way, and Bekoev eventually wilted. It's a performance that will be nearly impossible for the former LFA standout to overcome. Bekoev's back-to-back first-round knockout wins to begin his UFC run feel like they happened decades ago.
Getting knocked out by Yousri Belgaroui as a -310 favorite last October is one thing. Getting choked unconscious by Gore as a -700 favorite here is another thing entirely. Bekoev was responsible for the biggest moment of the night with a Round 1 knockdown. Yet, he wasn't able to get the uber-tough Gore out of there, and he quickly gassed out afterwards. Gore piled on the pressure the rest of the way, and Bekoev eventually wilted. It's a performance that will be nearly impossible for the former LFA standout to overcome. Bekoev's back-to-back first-round knockout wins to begin his UFC run feel like they happened decades ago.
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Fighting Gore in April
Bekoev will face Tresean Gore at a UFC event in Las Vegas on April 4, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Bekoev will head into the bout looking to bounce back off a recent defeat at the hands of Yousri Belgaroui in October. The 30-year-old Russian fighter will have to overcome a disadvantage in reach compared to the older American. With a fairly balanced professional record across finishes, Bekoev will be able to be creative in the strategy he employs in this one.
Bekoev will head into the bout looking to bounce back off a recent defeat at the hands of Yousri Belgaroui in October. The 30-year-old Russian fighter will have to overcome a disadvantage in reach compared to the older American. With a fairly balanced professional record across finishes, Bekoev will be able to be creative in the strategy he employs in this one.
Suffers first UFC defeat
Bekoev lost to Yousri Belgaroui via TKO (punches) at 0:55 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Vancouver.
ANALYSIS
This was a complete clash in styles, and Bekoev most certainly didn't get the better of it as a -310 favorite. Giving up five inches in reach to his opponent, Bekoev had no shot here if he didn't get his wrestling game going. He ended up landing 4-of-8 takedown attempts but generated just 3:18 worth of control time and did next to nothing with his positional advantage. That allowed the much larger Belgaroui to work behind his jab and connect with more power shots as the fight progressed. It's an extremely disappointing result for a guy that earned back-to-back first-round stoppage wins in his first two UFC appearances.
This was a complete clash in styles, and Bekoev most certainly didn't get the better of it as a -310 favorite. Giving up five inches in reach to his opponent, Bekoev had no shot here if he didn't get his wrestling game going. He ended up landing 4-of-8 takedown attempts but generated just 3:18 worth of control time and did next to nothing with his positional advantage. That allowed the much larger Belgaroui to work behind his jab and connect with more power shots as the fight progressed. It's an extremely disappointing result for a guy that earned back-to-back first-round stoppage wins in his first two UFC appearances.
Belgaroui fight re-scheduled
Bekoev is scheduled to compete against Yousri Belgaroui in a middleweight fight at UFC Vancouver on Oct. 18, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Bekoev and Belgaroui were scheduled to fight at UFC Vegas 108 on Saturday, but the latter withdrew from the event. They have re-scheduled for a future date, more than two months down the line.
Bekoev and Belgaroui were scheduled to fight at UFC Vegas 108 on Saturday, but the latter withdrew from the event. They have re-scheduled for a future date, more than two months down the line.
Opponent backs out
Bekoev will no longer take on Yousri Belgaroui in a middleweight matchup at UFC Vegas 108 on August 2, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Bekoev's opponent Belgaroui needed to pull out of the fight due to an issue with his work visa. The fight has been called off, and it's unclear if the UFC will search for a replacement opponent.
Bekoev's opponent Belgaroui needed to pull out of the fight due to an issue with his work visa. The fight has been called off, and it's unclear if the UFC will search for a replacement opponent.
Late-notice opponent swap
Bekoev will take on Yousri Belgaroui in a middleweight matchup at UFC Vegas 108 on August 2, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Bekoev was original set for a matchup against Torez Finney, but the latter withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. He now faces Belgaroui on short notice in his third fight of 2025, where he'll also be looking to earn his third first-round stoppage victory in as many tries. We last saw Belgaroui on the Contender Series, where he picked up a finish but wasn't awarded a contract, presumably due to multiple eye pokes. Bekoev will give up height and reach advantages to Belgaroui, but he has more experience despite being younger and should enter as the betting favorite.
Bekoev was original set for a matchup against Torez Finney, but the latter withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. He now faces Belgaroui on short notice in his third fight of 2025, where he'll also be looking to earn his third first-round stoppage victory in as many tries. We last saw Belgaroui on the Contender Series, where he picked up a finish but wasn't awarded a contract, presumably due to multiple eye pokes. Bekoev will give up height and reach advantages to Belgaroui, but he has more experience despite being younger and should enter as the betting favorite.