Bekzat Almakhan relishing chance to upset, derail Umar Nurmagomedov in UFC debut

LAS VEGAS – The odds are stacked against him Saturday, and there’s no polite way to put it: Bekzat Almakhan is a massive underdog.

Almakhan (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will be the latest bantamweight to try to give the unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) a test when they meet on the UFC Fight Night 238 (ESPN+) main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Although the 26-year-old Almakhan, from Kazakhstan, comes in with an impressive nine-fight winning streak and has 15 of his 17 wins by stoppage, Nurmagomedov is as much as a 16-1 favorite at the betting window. It probably didn’t help Almakhan’s cause when the oddsmakers set the initial line that he was taking a fight against a member of one of the sport’s elite families on less than a month’s notice, either.

That doesn’t bother Almakhan one bit, though. In fact, he said it just makes what he’s up against even more exciting.

“Why do I have to be scared? I’m a fighter,” Almakhan said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Why did I start a fighting career? Why would I be a UFC fighter and be scared of somebody? Everyone has two hands, two legs, one head. We’re going to do our best. Everybody is human. No one has three hands or something like that.”

Almakhan said he was in shape, but not in an actual training camp for a fight when he got the call to take on Nurmagomedov, who had been eyeing a title eliminator fight against Cory Sandhagen. Between last-minute visas and travel arrangements, he got to Las Vegas just in time for fight week commitments after a flight that took an entire day and night on its own.

But he said Nurmagomedov will find out about the spirit of a Kazakh fighter.

“I respect him as a fighter. I know Umar is a high-level fighter on the ground, striking – everywhere. He’s a complete fighter. But I’m a complete fighter, and I’m going to show what’s up with Kazakhstan.

“… Expect everything from me: striking, wrestling, interviews – just be ready. guys. I’m coming for everything and I’ll show the Kazakh spirit.”

Check out Almakhan’s full interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.