In 2025, the next wave of surging European prospects and contenders has already begun to make their way onto the biggest stage in mixed martial arts. Coming all the way from Chechnya, these young up-and-coming fighters are in the midst of a meteoric ascension that seems to be unstoppable, with one currently holding UFC gold.
Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has been home to some of the best fighters, with competitors hailing from all over the world. Across its existence, however, several countries have seen its more promising athletes take the promotion, and by extension the sport, by storm. From the Gracie family in the early days of the company, to the rise of Dagestan as a hotbed for international talent in recent years, there have been individuals who put their nations on the map.
Examining Chechnya’s Fighters in the UFC
Chechnya’s Fighters in UFC: Abdul-Rahkman Yakhyaev
Competing only a mere few days ago on Dana White’s Contender Series, Abdul-Rahkman Yakhyaev earned a coveted contract with the UFC after starching Alik Lorenz by first round knockout. The American had previously embarked on a five-fight winning streak, with all those victories coming by way of stoppage, and only one went past the opening five minutes. Lorenz had only one loss prior to his match with Yakhyaev, which came all the way back in 2021.
Losing in his amateur debut back in 2019, Yakhyaev jumped straight into the professional ranks almost two years later. He has since remained undefeated with seven triumphs in a row. The Chechen first came to international prominence after a brief stint in ARES Fighting Championship. Scoring the organization’s light heavyweight strap in his debut, “Hunter” logged just one title defense before being given the call to represent Chechnya on the Contender Series.
Chechnya’s Top Fighters in UFC: Baisangur Susurkaev
In the span of four days, Chechnya’s Baisangur Susurkaev has elevated himself to being called one of the top middleweight prospects on the planet. Making an appearance himself on the Contender Series in the first episode of the ninth season two weeks ago, he recorded the only finish of the event when he nailed Murtaza Talha with a devastating body kick. Ending the bout in the first round, “Hunter” not only secured himself a spot on the UFC roster, he also enthusiastically booked his freshman outing with the promotion after requesting to compete at UFC 319 later that week.
Prior to his arrival in the big leagues, Susurkaev had garnered a fearsome reputation on the regional scene for his proficiency with netting first round finishes, materializing six of them before his trip to the Apex. Out of his seven victories heading into the Contender Series, just one managed to make his way to the scorecards, with the Chechen boasting a nearly 100% stoppage rate.
Getting the opportunity to showcase his skills to a global audience for the first time in Chicago at UFC 319, Susurkaev faced off with fellow company debutante Eric Nolan. Riding a four-bout winning streak before his inclusion on the card, Nolan had taken the Cage Fury Fighting Championship’s Welterweight championship with a three minute knockout over Blayne Richards, avenging a previous defeat to him more than two years ago.
Despite his opposition stepping up a weight class just for this fight, Nolan gave Susurkaev arguably the toughest test of his entire journey as a mixed martial artist, with both men repeatedly tagging each other on the feet with hard shots. It was in the second round, however, that the Chechen found a way to lock in the rear naked choke to end the encounter and collect his first UFC win.
Chechnya’s Top Fighters in UFC: Khamzat Chimaev
At the very same show in Chicago, another competitor from Chechnya also took home his own amount of major success, with Khamzat Chimaev emphatically dethroning two-time defending middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in one of the most one-sided title tilts the world has ever witnessed. Utilizing his superior wrestling right from the get-go, “Borz” controlled the South African juggernaut for the majority of their scrap, accumulating a mind-boggling 21 minutes of control time across the five round affair. He also delivered over 500 strikes to the champion’s 45, earning several organizational records like most total strikes landed in a UFC fight, most total ground strikes landed in a UFC fight and most total head strikes landed in a UFC fight.
Before attempting to retain his throne for the third time against Chechnya’s Khamzat Chimaev, Du Plessis had been known as one of the more awkward but dominant names the mixed martial arts community had seen in quite some time. Winning his first nine bouts in the UFC, “Stillknocks” secured amazing victories over divisional legends like Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland (twice), and Israel Adesanya. He had also not lost a fight since 2018 back when he was still a title-holder in prominent European company KSW.
With his utter dismantling of Du Plessis, Chechnya’s Chimaev has seemingly set himself apart from the rest of the pack at 185-lb by a wide margin. At just 31 years of age, the Chechen steamroller appears to be in the prime of his career. While his first title defense hasn’t been booked yet as of this writing, his place in the annals of the sport’s history is already solidified after the most dominant championship-earning performances in UFC history.
