Askar Askarov (russian: Аскар Сайпулаевич Аскаров; born 9 October 1992) is a Russian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...

who competes in the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of b ...

division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2013, Askarov previously competed in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC) and

Absolute Championship Berkut Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

(ACB), where he has won the ACB Flyweight Championship and

2017 Summer Deaflympics ) , nations = 86 , athletes = 2,873 , events = 219 in 18 sports , stadium = Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium , opened_by = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , torch_lighter = Ertuğrul Bursa , opening = July 18, 2017 , closin ...

61 kg freestyle wrestling gold medalist.

Personal life

Askarov was born to an Akhvakh family on 9 October 1992, in the village of Kamysh-Kutan in the

Akhvakhsky District Akhvakhsky District (russian: Ахвахский райо́н; av, Гӏахьвахъ мухъ) is an administrativeLaw #16 and municipalLaw #6 district (raion), one of the forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is located in the west ...

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...

, an autonomous republic within the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia North Asia or Northern Asia, also referred to as Siberia, is the northern region of Asia, which is defined in geographic ...

.Askar Askarov
'' Akhvakhsky District of the Republic of Dagestan''. Retrieved on 22 November 2020. Askarov was born deaf, and though his hearing has improved, he can only hear approximately 20% of the sounds most people can, meaning he cannot hear instructions from his team during a fight. Askarov has represented Russia as part of the national deaf wrestling team, including at the Summer

Deaflympics The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athl ...

Samsun Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (Ancient Greek: Αμισός), is a city on the north coast of Turkey and is a major Black Sea port. In 2021, Samsun recorded a population of 710,000 people. The cit ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

in 2017, where he won a gold medal.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Askarov made his professional MMA debut in Russia in July 2013, against a fellow debutante in Shamil Amirov. He won the fight by a rear naked choke in the second round. In his second fight, he fought another debuting fighter, Kvanzhakov Kantemir, and won by a first round TKO. Askarov extended his winning streak to four, with stoppage wins against Elvin Abbasov and Vakha Kadyrov.

Absolute Championship Berkut

Following these two victories, Askarov signed with the Russian based promotion

. In his first fight with ACB, Askarov defeated Vyacheslav Gagiev by a second round TKO. During ACB 22, Askarov fought and submitted the undefeated Kirill Medvedovski. He was then scheduled to fight Marcin Lasota during ACB 29. Askarov won the fight by a second round TKO. In his fourth with the organization, Askarov was scheduled to fight Ruslan Abiltarov during ACB 38. He won the fight by rear naked choke, and was awarded a $5,000 bonus for the submission of the night. These victories earned Askar the chance to fight José Maria Tomé for the vacant ACB Flyweight Championship. He beat José Maria Tomé by submission in the fifth round to become the first ACB flyweight champion. Askarov additionally earned a $5,000 bonus for the "Fight of the Night". Askarov was scheduled to have his first title defense during ACB 58, when he was fought Anthony Leone. Askarov won the fight mid-way through the third round, by a body triangle neck crank. Askarov was scheduled to defend his title for the second time against Rasul Albaskhanov, during ACB 86. He defeated Albaskhanov by a second round guillotine choke. Following his signature with the UFC, Askarov vacated the ACB Flyweight title.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Askarov made his UFC debut against

Brandon Moreno Brandon Carrillo Moreno (born December 7, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Flyweight Champion, and the c ...

on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens. Though Moreno was competing in front of his home fans in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, they fought to a split draw after three rounds. For his second fight in the Octagon, Askarov was booked to face former UFC flyweight title challenger

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Titan FC Flyweight Champion. He has been professi ...

at on January 18, 2020 at

UFC 246 ''UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 18, 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. Askarov won the bout via unanimous decision. In his third fight for the promotion, Askarov faced

Alexandre Pantoja Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (born, April 16, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter, currently fighting for the UFC and is the flyweight champion of the Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil. As of August 20, 2022, he is ...

at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 19, 2020. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Askarov faced

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in San An ...

on March 6, 2021 at

UFC 259 ''UFC 259: Błachowicz vs. Adesanya '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 6, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. At the weigh-ins, Askar weighed in at 127 pounds, one pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he was fined 20 percent of his individual purse, which went to Benavidez. Askarov won the fight via unanimous decision. Askarov was scheduled to face Alex Perez on July 31, 2021 on

UFC on ESPN 28 ''UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 28'' and ''UFC Vegas 33'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 31, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

. However, Askarov pulled out of the fight in early July citing injury. In turn, Perez was removed from the card entirely and rescheduled to face

Matt Schnell Matthew Christopher Schnell (born January 15, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Schnell formerly competed for Legacy Fighting Alli ...

four weeks later on August 28, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 192. Askarov faced

Kai Kara-France James Kaiwhare Kara-France (born March 26, 1993) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 1, 2022, he is #3 in the UFC flyweight ...

on March 26, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 33. He lost the first bout of his professional career via unanimous decision. The bout between Askarov and Perez was rescheduled and they are expected to meet on July 16, 2022 at

UFC on ABC 3 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Askarov pulled out once again in early June due to undisclosed reasons and Perez was rescheduled against

UFC 277 ''UFC 277: Peña vs. Nunes 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 30, 2022, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Women's Bantamweigh ...

. Askarov was scheduled to face Brandon Royval on October 15, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 212 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However the bout was cancelled the day before the event due to weight management issues. At the end of October, Askarov requested and was granted a release to deal with his health issues.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** ACB Flyweight Championship (One time, first) ***Two successful title defenses

Freestyle wrestling

**Gold medal – 61 kg *2018 Deaf Wrestling World Championships **Bronze medal – 61 kg

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–1–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–0–1 ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0–1 ,

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Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Rasul Albaskhanov , Technical submission (guillotine choke) , ACB 86 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:59 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Anthony Leone , Submission (twister) , ACB 58 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Khasavyurt Khasavyurt (russian: Хасавю́рт; av, Хасаюрт; ce, Хаси-Эвл, ''Xasi-Evl''; kum, Хасав-ю́рт, ''Xasav-yurt'') is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. Population: History It was founded in 1846 and granted t ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , José Maria Tomé , Submission (anaconda choke) , ACB 48 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 1:57 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Ruslan Abiltarov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ACB 38 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:37 ,

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Marcin Lasota , TKO (punches) , ACB 29 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:35 ,

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...

, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Kirill Medvedovsky , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ACB 22 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Vyacheslav Gagiev , TKO (punches) , ACB 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:56 ,

Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a po ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Vakha Kadyrov , TKO (punches) , Khasavyurt Fight: Dagestan MMA Open Cup 2014 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Elvin Abbasov , Submission (armbar) , GEFC: Lights of Baku 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:45 , Baku, Azerbaijan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Kvanzhakov Kantemir , TKO (punches) , Sparta Martial Arts Club: Team Sosnovy Bor vs. Team Leningrad Oblast , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Shamil Amirov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Liga Kavkaz: Grand Umakhan Battle , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:05 , Khunzakh, Russia , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Askarov, Askar Sportspeople from Dagestan Avar people Russian male mixed martial artists Dagestani mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Living people 1992 births People from Akhvakhsky District Flyweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Russian sambo practitioners Russian male sport wrestlers