I will go over every promising prospect in alphabetic order along with a brief description.

Featherweight, Abylaykhan Kadirzhan (6-1):

Kadirzhan was somebody I was scouting years ago but he just doesn’t fight often. He fought last year but before that, he fought for M1 Challenge back when that was a thing. The good thing about it is that Kadirzhan is still only 26. Kadirzhan is well-rounded. He’s light on his feet and does a great job striking and getting back out of the pocket. Somebody you don’t want to dictate the pace because he will light you up. He’s even more of a threat when he gets it down as he has four submission wins. If Kadirzhan can just stay active a bigger promotion would be pounding the table to get him.

Flyweight, Aibek Bekbolatov (4-0):

Bekbolatov is a long 125er that knows how to use his range. He’s a really talented striker who stays on the outside and uses his kickboxing. He can chop away at the lead leg and will mix it up and he’s pretty diverse in his offense as well. His jiu-jitsu also shines, even if it’s off his back. Bekbolatov is very active always moving and looking to improve position. He has a lot of qualities at flyweight and looks like someone that could make an impact in the future.

Flyweight, Aktore Batyrbek (6-2):

Batyrbek is an excellent submission grappler with all but one win coming by submission. He’s really good at attacking off his back with the armbar and mainly the triangle. Along with the submission base, he is a quality wrestler. He’s looked good but he needs a key win. Both his losses are to good fighters. One of those is UFC fighter and fellow Kazakhstan native Azat Maksum.  Batyrbek has the strength and jiu-jitsu to be a big threat but does need to prove himself.

The post Not Just Shavkat: An In-Depth Look into the Kazakhstan MMA Scene appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA Fighting reports the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promotion is heading to Kazakhstan on June 13. No city or venue has been confirmed for the event. However, the leading candidate is Nur-Sultan, which hosts a 30,000-seat venue, Astana Arena. Last August, the UFC actually signed their first fighter of Kazakhstan descent, Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Rakhmonov will be making his UFC debut at UFC London on March 21. MMA is certainly in high demand out of Kazakhstan, as Titan FC held an event in the country back in December of 2018. The show went down from the Almaty Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and drew a crowd of 11,000, as well as 1,000 fans at weigh-ins.

The UFC recently signed another Kazakhstani star, as Contender Series alum and Invicta FC veteran Mariya Agapova has signed with the promotion. She shared the news on her Instagram page. “Dreams come true,” she wrote on Instagram, thanking Invicta FC and its president Shannon Knapp. “Thanks to my teammates. You have no idea how much you mean to me! A year ago, I looked at you from the TV screen. And I promised myself that I would become as strong as you. And now we are a team. And you helped me all the time on my hard way. And now I am a UFC fighter like you.”

No fights have been announced for the event, given the promotion has not yet made the card official.

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