Muhammadjon Naimov (; born 7 August 1994) is a Tajik

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

. He currently competes in the

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division of the

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

(UFC). A professional since 2018, Naimov has also competed in the

Titan Fighting Championships Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

Background

Muhammad Naimov was born in Kulob on 7 August 1994. He studied at the Tajik National University. He speaks three languages. Naimov began competing in

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

, where he won the Asian Junior Championships in Kazakhstan (2010), Tajikistan (2012), Bulgaria (2013) and Nepal (2014), and won a medal at the World Junior Championships in Estonia (2012) and Tajikistan (2014). He then began his amateur MMA career in 2016 before turning professional in 2018.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Naimov made his professional MMA career in on November 1, 2018, at Jonathan Ogden Foundation's 13th Annual 'An Evening Ringside' against Jernato Harris, winning the bout via second-round TKO. Naimov made his Titan FC debut against Harrison Melendez on January 25, 2019, at Titan FC 52. He won the bout by first-round TKO. Naimov faced Landon Quinones at Titan FC 54 on April 26, 2019. He won the bout via split decision. Naimov faced Shawn Brown at Titan FC 58 on December 20, 2019. He won the bout via technical submission in the first round. Naimov faced Shawn Brown at Titan FC 62 on July 23, 2020. He won the bout via second-round TKO. Naimov faced Collin Anglin at Dana White's Contender Series 33 on September 15, 2020. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Returning to Titan FC, Naimov faced Olivier Murad for the vacant Titan FC Featherweight Championship at Titan FC 67. He lost the bout by unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his UFC debut, Naimov faced

Jamie Mullarkey Jamie Mullarkey (born 17 August 1994) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mullarkey grew up in Central Coast area, attending Erina High School. He ...

on June 3, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 46 as a replacement for Guram Kutatuledze. He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round, earning him his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Moving down to featherweight, Naimov faced Nathaniel Wood on October 21, 2023, at UFC 294. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Naimov faced Erik Silva on February 24, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 237. He won by first round technical knockout after Silva injured his leg. Naimov was scheduled to face Melsik Baghdasaryan on June 22, 2024 at UFC on ABC 6. However, Baghdasaryan pulled out during fight week due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder and was replaced by promotional newcomer Felipe Lima. Naimov lost the fight by a rear-naked choke submission in the third round. Naimov faced Kaan Ofli on February 1, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 250. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Naimov faced Bogdan Grad on June 21, 2025 at UFC on ABC 8. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Naimov, Muhammad 1994 births Living people People from Khatlon Region Tajikistani male mixed martial artists Tajikistani male taekwondo practitioners Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters