Umar Nurmagomedov to Face Newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238

Umar Nurmagomedov will welcome promotional newcomer Bekzat Almakhan to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 238.

Multiple outlets confirmed the bantamweight booking following an initial report from Frontkicked. UFC Fight Night 238 takes place on March 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight clash pitting Jairzinho Rozenstruik against Shamil Gaziev.

Nurmagomedov hasn’t competed since January 2023, when he scored a first-round knockout of Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 217. The 28-year-old Eagles MMA representative was scheduled to lock horns with Cory Sandhagen at UFC Nashville in August, but Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, stated on social media that it has been extremely difficult to find a willing opponent for the Dagestani standout. Nurmagomedov is 16-0 as a professional, with four of those coming in UFC competition.

Almakhan, meanwhile, has been victorious in 14 of 15 pro outings and will carry an eight-bout winning streak into the matchup with Nurmagomedov. The 26-year-old Kazakhstan native has finished all but one of his career victories inside the distance.