Diyar Nurgozhay Record: 12-2-0

Climbing toward the UFC

Two wins in 2024 carried Nurgozhay to the doorstep of the UFC. In May he stopped former PFL champion Emiliano Sordi by first-round TKO at UAE Warriors 50, a result that put him on the radar of major promotions. He cashed in that October on Dana White's Contender Series, knocking out Bartosz Szewczyk with a head kick and punches in the second round to secure his UFC contract and announce himself as a genuine 205-pound prospect.

UFC run

The jump to the Octagon exposed his ground game. In his March 2025 promotional debut, Nurgozhay was submitted by Brendson Ribeiro via second-round kimura, and that August he was caught again, this time tapping to a first-round Ezekiel choke from fellow Kazakh Uran Satybaldiev. Both losses came by submission, highlighting where his game needed shoring up. He answered the adversity in March 2026, grinding out a hard-earned unanimous decision over Rafael Tobias at UFC 326 to claim his first Octagon win and steady his footing in the division.

Fighting style

Nurgozhay is primarily a knockout artist, with six of his 11 wins by KO or TKO, two by submission and three by decision – a 73 percent finish rate among his victories. His best work comes when he can plant his feet and unload power, often closing fights in the first round, and his head kick is a real weapon, as both the Szewczyk knockout and earlier stoppages demonstrated. The clear vulnerability, exposed by both of his UFC losses, is his submission defense: both setbacks came on the mat, and tightening his ground game is the key to translating his regional dominance to the sport's top level.

Career highlights

• Eagle FC light heavyweight champion — outpointed Konstantin Andreitsev over five rounds at Eagle FC 50 in 2022 to win the title.
• Contender Series contract — knocked out Bartosz Szewczyk with a head kick and punches in October 2024 to earn his UFC deal.
• First Octagon win — decisioned Rafael Tobias at UFC 326 in March 2026 to break into the win column at the UFC level.