UFC
Kurdish fighters in the UFC
Four Kurdish fighters have competed inside the UFC octagon, and a fifth is one win away. This is the record of who got there and what happened next.
The UFC is the room every fighter wants to enter and the hardest one to stay in. Four fighters in this register have been there: Makwan Amirkhani, who lasted eight years on the roster and is the only Kurdish fighter to build a real UFC career, Alan Omer, Rostem Akman, and Namo Fazil, who fights on Dana White’s Contender Series with a contract on the line.
The fighters
| Name | Sport | Record | Roots | Based in | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makwan Amirkhani Mr. Finland | MMA | 20-11 | Kirmaşan, Rojhilat | Turku, Finland | @makwanufc |
| Cihad Akipa The Punisher | Kickboxing, MMA | 12-2 | Mêrdîn, Bakur | Germany | @cihadakipa |
| Firas Daud | MMA | 6-1 | n.a. | Gelsenkirchen, Germany | @firasdaud_ |
| Namo Fazil Grandson of Saladin | MMA | 10-2 | n.a. | California, United States | @namo.fazil |
| Harda Karim Hi-Tech | MMA | 5-3 | n.a. | n.a. | @harda.karim.1 |
| Mohamed Talabani | MMA | 6-3 | n.a. | n.a. | @warriorfromdeath |
| Ruslan Amuev Kurdish Eagle | MMA | 12-0 | n.a. | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | @amuev__mma |
| Seyamand Rida | MMA | 5-0 | Kelar, Basur | Norway | @king_rida1 |
| Saad Kawa | MMA | 4-3 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Ali Gündüz The Gorilla | MMA | 6-1 | n.a. | Gelsenkirchen, Germany | @alig.mma |
| Mohammed Walid No Mercy | MMA | 8-6 | n.a. | n.a. | @mohammedwalid_promma |
| Bajad Damarkani The Kurdish Lion | MMA | 3-1 | n.a. | Gothenburg, Sweden | @bajad_damarkani |
| Haci Akseker | MMA | 3-1 | n.a. | Hannover, Germany | @ak21.h |
| Hama Dara Mawili | MMA | 11-13-1 | n.a. | Turku, Finland | n.a. |
| Karwan Ahmadi The Kurdish Prince | MMA | 5-4 | n.a. | Finland | n.a. |
| Komar Dara | MMA | 3-2 | n.a. | Finland | @komardaramma |
| Alan Omer Mr. Erbil | MMA | 25-5 | n.a. | n.a. | @alanomermma |
| Naj Parniyan | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Hakar Gardi | MMA | 0-4 | n.a. | n.a. | @hakar.gardi98 |
| Shirzad Qadrian The Lion | MMA | 8-1 | n.a. | United Kingdom | @lion._.mma |
| Mohamed Zarey Kurdish Gorilla | MMA | 9-1 | Sinê, Rojhilat | Norway | @mohamadzarey_kurdish |
| Rostem Akman | MMA | 7-5 | Mêrdîn, Bakur | Sweden | @rostemakman |
| Mohammed Saleh | MMA | 5-1 | n.a. | n.a. | @mohammed_saleh_mma |
| Ahmad Anwar | MMA | 1-0 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Bilal Jalal | MMA | 1-3 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Milad Shahram | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Raman Ismail | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Gaylan Tariq | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Nuri Arslan The Warrior | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Ilkin Ragimov Kurd | MMA | 1-4 | n.a. | Azerbaijan | n.a. |
| Mario Saeed Rudeboy | MMA | 13-6 | n.a. | United Kingdom | @mariosaeedmma |
| Shad Bapir | MMA | 1-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Ahmed Hamza Barraz | MMA | 1-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Ali Qaradaghy | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Ramyar Luqman | MMA | 1-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Goran Abdullah | MMA | 1-0 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Aziz Kamalov Kurd | MMA, Kickboxing | 0-0-1 | n.a. | Krasnodar, Russia | @aziz___mma |
| Hamza Hakeem Yuri | MMA | 0-0 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Adam Mahmoud | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Chyako Yosuf | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Hamza Faraidoon | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Hunar Karim | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Kuyar Kamran | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Muhammad Kaka | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Shaho Malik | MMA | 0-1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Bari Mgoev | MMA | 0-2 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Kurdo Azadi | MMA | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
The table above carries every mixed martial artist in the register, ordered by what they are doing now rather than by fame. Promotions are listed per fighter on their own page, with the sources we checked them against.
Frequently asked questions
How many Kurdish fighters have been in the UFC?
Four have competed in the UFC: Makwan Amirkhani, Alan Omer, Rostem Akman and Namo Fazil, who appears on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Who is the most successful Kurdish UFC fighter?
Makwan Amirkhani. He spent eight years on the UFC roster, the longest run of any Kurdish fighter, and won a title before joining.
Is there a Kurdish UFC champion?
Not yet in the UFC. In boxing there is a world champion: Agit Kabayel holds the WBC world heavyweight title.