Azamat Bekoev Record: 20-5-0

LFA gold and the UFC call

Inside the LFA, Bekoev turned in the run that defined his prospect status. After a 2020 split-decision loss to Ibragim Magomedov in ACA, he reeled off win after win, including a hard-fought five-round split decision over Dylan Budka in June 2023 and a five-round unanimous decision over Lucas Fernando that December – back-to-back championship-length wars that proved his conditioning and toughness. A second-round knockout of veteran Chauncey Foxworth in 2024 cemented his standing and set up the UFC call.

UFC debut and recent run

Bekoev seized his opportunity on short notice. At UFC 311 in January 2025, he knocked out Zach Reese with punches in the first round, a debut statement that showcased his power. He doubled down that May, stopping Ryan Loder by first-round TKO. The step up in competition then bit back: Yousri Belgaroui handed him a third-round TKO loss in October 2025, and Tresean Gore submitted him with a guillotine in the third round in April 2026 – a reminder that even an elite grappler can be caught when the pace and pressure rise against ranked competition.

Fighting style

Bekoev is a genuine dual threat: of his 20 wins, eight have come by knockout and eight by submission, with just four going to decision – an 80% finish rate that marks him as one of the more dangerous finishers to enter the division. His wrestling-rooted grappling lets him chain takedowns into the north-south chokes, rear-naked chokes and arm-triangles that pepper his record, while his power punching makes standing exchanges equally perilous for opponents. He can also grind, as his two five-round LFA decisions show. The vulnerabilities are real, though: both of his recent UFC losses came against rangy, technical strikers, and his finish-or-be-finished tendency leaves little margin when the level rises.

Career highlights

• 80% finish rate — 16 of his 20 wins have come inside the distance, split evenly between eight knockouts and eight submissions.
• LFA standout — won championship-length five-round battles over Dylan Budka and Lucas Fernando to force his way into the UFC.
• Statement UFC debut — knocked out Zach Reese in the first round at UFC 311 on short notice, then followed it with another first-round stoppage.