Who is Muhammad Naimov? All about the DWCS alum rumored to debut on June 3 UFC card

The UFC recently signed another exciting Tajikistani prospect, Muhammad Naimov, and the 28-year-old is expected to make his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 74 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this weekend.

Lightweight contenders Jamie Mullarkey and Guram Kutateladze were booked to square off this weekend, but Kutateladze was forced to pull out of the bout for undisclosed reasons.

Not deterred by the five-day short-notice fight, Naimov not only agreed to replace Kutateladze but the featherweight will move up to lightweight for the fight.

Making his professional MMA debut in 2018, Muhammad Naimov is now the fourth fighter from Tajikistan to join the UFC. After going undefeated in his first five bouts, the 28-year-old was booked to fight on Dana White's Contender Series in 2020. Naimov faced Collin Anglin on DWCS, losing via unanimous decision.

'Hillman' is currently riding a three-fight win streak and has a professional MMA record of 8-2. While Muhammad Naimov has competed across various promotions, he found most of his success at the Florida-based MMA promotion Titan FC.

Currently fighting out of Colorado, the Tajikistan native is a member of the Elevation Fight Team and trains alongside UFC stars like Curtis Blaydes, Cory Sandhagen, and Neil Magny.

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Muhammad Naimov on preparing for his UFC debut

While MMA fighters are undoubtedly among the most mentally tough athletes in the world, debuting in the world's biggest MMA promotion would be a nerve-wracking task for any fighter.

While Muhammad Naimov has competed in Dana White's Contender Series previously and is no stranger to the promotion, 'Hillman' always knew he was destined to be a UFC fighter. Despite dropping a unanimous decision against Collin Anglin at DWCS, Naimov has been mentally and physically preparing to be called by the UFC for a short-notice fight.

In a 2021 interview with MMA Junkie, the 28-year-old addressed his DWCS loss and revealed that Dana White praised him for his performance, stating:

"I was so upset about that [DWCS] fight... I took a lot of lessons from that fight. I took a lot away from that fight. I didn’t give up."

Referring to his fight against Olivier Murad at Titan FC 67, Muhammad Naimov said:

"You’ll see a completely different Muhammad from the last fight. I had a longer camp than eight weeks... 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 [on] short notice if somebody pulls out. He really liked my style. I needed to stay ready."