Tagir Ulanbekov
Active 2020–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 80.0
Scouting report
Tagir Ulanbekov was born in Dylym, Dagestan in 1991 and moved to Makhachkala at eight. His uncle took him to a wrestling section, and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov coached him at Eagles MMA alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. He won gold at the 2014 World Combat Sambo Championship at 57 kg. He is 17-3 as a pro and 6-2 in the UFC, where he debuted at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on October 11, 2020 with a unanimous decision over Bruno Gustavo da Silva.
Peak ratings
By edition
Tagir Ulanbekov: an Eagles MMA flyweight with a sambo base
He beat Allan Nascimento on a split decision at UFC 267 on October 30, 2021, lost to Tim Elliott at UFC 272, and choked Nate Maness with a guillotine at 2:11 of round one in November 2022. Face cranked Cody Durden at UFC 296 in December 2023. Cancellations dogged him. He withdrew from fights with Matheus Nicolau twice in 2021, a Tyson Nam bout in 2022, and missed weight at 129.5 pounds before a June 2024 card.
Ulanbekov, one rating at a time
Boxing. 76. Clayton Carpenter lost a unanimous decision to him at UFC 311 in Inglewood in January 2025.
Kickboxing. 74. He has one knockout among his 17 wins.
Wrestling. 90, his best. Combat sambo and a Dagestani wrestling start give him control of most fights.
BJJ. 86. Maness was choked with a guillotine, Durden with a face crank in round two at 4:25, and eight of his pro wins came by submission.
Strength. 74. He fights at flyweight and won decisions over da Silva, Nascimento, Carpenter and Azat Maksum.
Durability. 84. Kyoji Horiguchi caught him with a rear-naked choke at 2:18 of round three in Qatar in November 2025.
Cardio. 88. Maksum lost a unanimous decision to him at UFC on ABC 8 in Baku in June 2025.
Fight IQ. 82. He lost a grappling match to Jussier Formiga on a decision at ADXC 6 on October 25, 2024.
Wrestling at 90 and a submission finish
Of his six UFC wins, two came by submission and four by decision. Two of the finishes came in 2022 and 2023 in Las Vegas. He is a wrestler first, and the rest of his card is balanced behind it.
Strength and kickboxing at 74
Elliott beat him on the cards at UFC 272 in March 2022, and Horiguchi submitted him late in 2025. Cancelled fights and the June 2024 weight miss cost him cards. He weighed in at 129.5 pounds, 3.5 over the flyweight limit, before a June 2024 fight with Joshua Van, and that bout was cancelled. A June 2022 fight with Tyson Nam was also called off when he pulled out with an injury. A striker in another slot gives the build a finishing option.
Keep exploring
Closest flyweight profiles to Tagir Ulanbekov, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Ray Borgbest bjj 86 · weakest strength 73
- Amir Albazibest wrestling 90 · weakest strength 75
- Askar Askarovbest wrestling 94 · weakest strength 75
- Muhammad Mokaevbest cardio 92 · weakest strength 74
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Tagir Ulanbekov's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Tagir Ulanbekov into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Tagir Ulanbekov is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Tagir Ulanbekov's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.