Bezkat Almakhan has a STIFF test set for his UFC debut.
According to frontkicked on X, the top Kazakh prospect will fight Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Vegas 87 in Las Vegas on March 2nd.
Almakhan’s management, Underdog, later confirmed the report.
Nurmagomedov has had a particularly difficult time booking fights against ranked bantamweights. A fight with Cory Sandhagen was set to serve as the main event for a UFC Fight Night in Nashville last summer, but Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw from the fight. He's 5-0 in the UFC and 16-0 overall.
Almakhan's signing to the UFC was announced just a few days ago, and his debut will come a few weeks later. The Kazakh is 17-1 and was considered by many to be the top Kazakh prospect outside the UFC. He's currently on a nine-fight win streak and most recently competed at Octagon last November.
With a win over the currently 13th-ranked Nurmagomedov, Almakhan could see himself ranked in perhaps the most competitive division in the UFC.
UFC Vegas 87 takes place on March 2nd at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event will feature a heavyweight fight between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev at heavyweight. The placement of Bekzat Almakhan vs. Umar Nurmagomedov has not been revealed by the UFC, but a co-main event slot would make sense given the magnitude of the matchup.