Kazakhstan's presence in the world leader in MMA grows, as Bekzat Almakhan has signed with the UFC.
Almakhan's management Underdog announced the signing on social media.
At 17-1, Almakhan was one of the top Kazakh fighters outside the UFC. The bantamweight trains out of 777 Fight Club in Almaty, Kazakhstan and has fought in top promotions like Octagon, UAE Warriors, and MMA Series. He most recently took out Yan Ferraz at Octagon 52 last November, beating with ground and pound with two second left in the fight.
It was his ninth straight win.
A debut date or opponent was not announced by his management.
Almakhan's addition to the UFC bantamweight division is the latest in a string of elite-level Kazakhs going the promotion. Azat Maksum (who fights at UFC Vegas 85 this Saturday) and Assu Almabayev signed with the UFC in the last year and have impressed in both of their debuts.
With the rise of Shavkat Rakhmonov, speculation has picked up for the UFC to touch down in the Central Asian country.