Amir Albazi Record: 17-3-0

UFC rise

Albazi debuted in July 2020 with a first-round triangle choke of Malcolm Gordon, an emphatic statement of his grappling pedigree. He followed it with a unanimous-decision win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 257 in January 2021, showing he could also win on the cards against a durable, well-rounded opponent. Returning in 2022, he submitted Francisco Figueiredo with a first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 278, then closed the year with a third-round knockout of Alessandro Costa – proof that the striking had caught up to the ground game.

Contender status and recent stretch

The signature win of Albazi's career came in June 2023, when he edged former title challenger Kai Kara-France by split decision over five rounds in a flyweight headliner, pushing his UFC record to a perfect 5-0 and vaulting him into the division's elite. The momentum stalled after that. Following a long layoff, he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to former champion Brandon Moreno in November 2024, then lost a grappling-match decision to Jafel Filho. In February 2026 he returned to the cage and dropped a unanimous decision to the experienced Kyoji Horiguchi, leaving him to regroup near the top of the division.

Fighting style

Albazi is a grappling-first fighter whose game is built around elite jiu-jitsu and a high-percentage submission game – nine of his 17 wins have come by submission, with another five by knockout, giving him an 82% finish rate. He chains takedowns into dominant position and hunts chokes and joint locks relentlessly, but he has also developed real power in his hands, as the knockout of Costa demonstrated. His three career losses have all come by decision, a sign that he is exceptionally hard to finish even when he comes up short on the cards. The knock on him is activity and pace against the very best, where extended layoffs and cautious rounds have cost him close decisions.

Career highlights

• Beat a former title challenger — outpointed Kai Kara-France by split decision in a 2023 five-round main event to climb into flyweight title contention.
• 5-0 UFC start — won his first five Octagon appearances, mixing submissions, a knockout and decisions against ranked competition.
• 82% career finish rate — closed out 14 of his 17 wins by submission or knockout, one of the more dangerous finishing profiles in the flyweight division.