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Former UFC fighter from Kazakhstan signs contract with new league
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan /Sports

Former UFC fighter from Kazakhstan signs contract with new league

From Tengrinews · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Azat Maksum, a 31-year-old fighter from Kazakhstan, has signed a contract with the NAIZA league.
  • Maksum's UFC career included a debut win followed by three consecutive losses, with his final fight ending in a controversial decision.
  • His first NAIZA fight is scheduled for September 19 in Almaty, with his opponent yet to be announced.

Kazakhstani fighter Azat Maksum is set to make his debut in the NAIZA league on September 19 in Almaty, the promotion announced via social media. The 31-year-old confirmed the signing himself in a video, stating, "The contract has been signed. Wait for me at NAIZA 85."

Maksum's tenure in the UFC saw a mixed bag of results. He entered the promotion with an undefeated 16-0 record and secured a debut win against Tyson Nam via split decision. However, his subsequent fights proved challenging. He suffered his first professional loss to Charles Johnson at UFC Fight Night 235 in February 2024, losing by unanimous decision after a dominant first round.

His final UFC bout was at UFC 325 in October, where he faced Mitch Raposo. Despite a controversial decision in a prior fight against Tagir Ulanbekov, Maksum lost his last outing to Raposo by unanimous decision with scores of 30-26, 29-27, and 29-27. The opponent for Maksum's NAIZA debut has not yet been revealed.

The contract has been signed. Wait for me at NAIZA 85.

— Azat MaksumThe fighter confirmed his signing with the NAIZA league.
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Originally published by Tengrinews. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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