Dylan Budka Record: 7-5-0

Building toward the Octagon

His first true measuring-stick test came in June 2023 against the experienced Azamat Bekoev, a 15-3 veteran, in a five-round LFA main event. Budka dropped a narrow split decision, but the competitiveness of the bout against such a seasoned opponent signaled he belonged at a higher level. He answered that setback emphatically on the Contender Series in September 2023, outpointing the 9-2 Chad Hanekom over three rounds by unanimous decision to secure the UFC contract he had been chasing.

UFC run

Budka's promotional debut came in April 2024 against the unbeaten César Almeida, a former Glory kickboxing champion, who stopped him with punches in the second round. He returned in September 2024 to face the grappling-savvy Andre Petroski, going the distance but losing a unanimous decision. The toughest night came in February 2025, when the heavy-handed Edmen Shahbazyan caught him early and finished the fight with punches in the opening round. That stretch left Budka searching for his first UFC win, with the wrestling-first foundation still looking to translate fully against the division's elite.

Fighting style

Budka is a wrestler at his core, and his record reflects a grinder rather than a one-shot finisher: of his seven wins, four have come by decision, two by rear-naked choke and one by knockout, a roughly 43% finish rate. At his best he uses his wrestling to control position, wear opponents down and hunt back-takes for the choke, as he did in his quick submission wins on the regional circuit. The honest gap in his game has shown up against high-level strikers, with all three of his UFC losses coming to fighters who either out-pointed him or punished him on the feet. Tightening his striking defense and finding ways to consistently impose his grappling will define whether he breaks through at the UFC level.

Career highlights

• UFC contract on the Contender Series — beat 9-2 prospect Chad Hanekom by unanimous decision in 2023 to earn his place on the UFC roster.
• Ohio amateur fighter of the year — recognized as the state's top amateur for 2021 after stacking up multiple amateur MMA titles off a decorated wrestling background.
• Decorated wrestling pedigree — a multi-time honored high school heavyweight in Maryland who wrestled in college at Urbana and Notre Dame College, the base for his MMA grappling.