UFC signs 8-2 Tajik fighter Muhammad Naimov to debut against Jamie Mullarkey at UFC Vegas 74 

Muhammad Naimov, a rising prospect from Tajikistan, recently signed with the UFC. The 28-year-old will make his promotional debut this Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs. Albazi at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Lightweight contenders Jamie Mullarkey and Guram Kutateladze were scheduled to face off at this weekend's Fight Night. However, Kutateladze was forced to pull out of the fight, leaving Mullarkey without an opponent. The UFC quickly signed Muhammad Naimov as a replacement.

Muhammad Naimov's MMA journey began in 2016 when he entered the IMMAF international tournament. In 2018, Naimov turned professional and was signed to compete in Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in 2020 following five professional victories. Although he lost by unanimous decision to Collin Anglin, Dana White praised Naimov's tremendous effort during the broadcast.

Fascinatingly, as reported by MMA Junkie, Naimov has been mentally and physically preparing for a call from the UFC since his DWCS appearance, fully aware that he might be offered a short notice opportunity:

"You’ll see a completely different Muhammad from the last fight [on DWCS]. I had a longer camp than eight weeks. After I lost that fight, I jumped right into training right away. I didn’t rest. I jumped right back in there because Dana White said they’re going to call me short-notice if somebody pulls out. He really liked my style. I needed to stay ready and keep my weight low. I’ve improved my grappling. I’ve improved my grappling. I’ve improved everything.”

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A comprehensive analysis of Muhammad Naimov's MMA record

Muhammad Naimov made his professional MMA debut in November 2018. He defeated Jernato Harris at The Jonathan Ogden Foundation event, winning the fight via second-round referee stoppage.

At Titan FC 52 in January 2019, Naimov faced Harrison Melendez. He emerged victorious via first-round knockout victory. In April 2019, he continued his winning streak with a decision victory over Landon Quiones at Titan FC 54.

'Hillman' faced Shawn Brown next at Titan FC 58 in December 2019, where he won via first-round rear-naked choke. However, Naimov also encountered some obstacles in his early MMA journey. In September 2020, he lost by unanimous decision to Collin Anglin in DWCS, followed by a decision loss to Olivier Murad at Titan FC 67.

Most recently, in March 2023 at Tuff-N-Uff 131, Naimov showcased his potential once again, earning a swift victory over Dylan Schulte with a head kick and punches in just 34 seconds of the very first round.