Las Vegas — Turkish light heavyweight Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev took all of 30 seconds to make an impression, and win a UFC contract, on Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday night.
Appearing on week three of the show, Yakhyaev used a knee and assorted other strikes to finish off Alik Lorenz. Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the UFC Apex, the 24-year old noted that the fight went according to plan. In fact, the main difficulty was getting used to the Nevada heat.
The fight went “the way I exactly expected,” stated Yakhyaev, “but the acclimatization was difficult. It’s really hot here.” The Turkish fighter competed in the U.S. for the first time on Tuesday, and might want to consider the east coast moving forward.
As for the finish, “I expected this bout to be exactly the way it went, and I was working hard on it. And I got exactly what I expected.”
On the regional scene, the now 7-0 Abdul Rakhman Yahkyaev has been known for collecting championship belts, holding two, including one in ARES FC. Asked about how long it might take him to achieve gold in the UFC, he replied saying “we’ll see, but I hope about two years.”
That would be an impressive feat, and see Yakhyaev capture a title just as he’d be entering his prime.
Watch the full Dana White’s Contender Series 2025 Week 3 post-fight press conference with Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev above.
