| Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev 3 January 2001 Chechnya, Russia |
| Other names | The Hunter |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) |
| Division | Light heavyweight |
| Reach | 79 in (200 cm) |
| Style | Mixed martial arts |
| Stance | Orthodox |
Fighting out of | Nuremberg, Germany |
| Team | MMA Nürnberg |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 11 |
| Wins | 11 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: 23 October 2026 | |
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (born 3 January 2001) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 3, 2026, he is #15 in the Meta UFC light heavyweight rankings.
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev was born in Tsotsi-Yurt, Chechnya, Russia. He began training in mixed martial arts and combat sambo at the age of 13 at a sports school in the Urus-Martan district of Chechnya. He later earned a degree in banking and worked as a plumber before pursuing a professional fighting career.
Yakhyaev achieved the Russian title of Master of Sports in combat sambo and mixed martial arts.
Before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he competed in the ACA Young Eagles and Khan Fight promotions compiling a record of 4-0.
Yakhyaev subsequently signed with Ares Fighting Championship. In July 2024, he defeated Paulin Begai by guillotine choke in the first round at Ares 23 to win the vacant Ares light heavyweight championship.He defended the title in September 2024, submitting Jacky Jeanne by rear-naked choke at Ares 25.
Yakhyaev was booked to fight on season 9 of Dana White's Contender Series on August 26, 2025. He faced Alik Lorenz and won the fight via technical knockout in the fist round, subsequently receiving a UFC contract from Dana White.
Yakhyaev made his UFC debut on November 22, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 265 in Qatar, where he faced Raffael Cerqueira. He won by rear-naked choke in 33 seconds of the first round. The finish set a record for the fastest submission by a light heavyweight in modern UFC history.
On April 4, 2026, Yakhyaev faced Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Fight Night 272. He won by rear-naked choke in the first round.
On June 27, 2026, Yakhyaev fought Julius Walker at UFC Fight Night 280 in Baku. He knocked Walker out with a right hook eight seconds into the first round. The victory earned Yakhyaev a Performance of the Night bonus and was among the fastest knockouts in UFC history.
Yakhyaev faced Nikita Krylov on October 24, 2026 at UFC 333. He won the fight by technical knockout via a knee and punches in the first round.
| 11 matches | 11 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 11–0 | Nikita Krylov | TKO (knee and punches) | UFC 333 | October 24, 2026 | 1 | 2:38 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 10–0 | Julius Walker | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres | June 27, 2026 | 1 | 0:08 | Baku, Azerbaijan | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9–0 | Brendson Ribeiro | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan | April 4, 2026 | 1 | 2:52 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Rafael Cerqueira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker | November 22, 2025 | 1 | 0:33 | Al Rayyan, Qatar | |
| Win | 7–0 | Alik Lorenz | TKO (knee to the body and punches) | Dana White's Contender Series 79 | August 26, 2025 | 1 | 0:30 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Jacky Jeanne | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ares FC 25 | September 26, 2024 | 1 | 2:23 | Paris, France | Defended the Ares FC Light Heavyweight Championship. Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 5–0 | Paulin Begai | Submission (guillotine choke) | Ares FC 23 | July 11, 2024 | 1 | 1:32 | Aubervilliers, France | Won the vacant Ares FC Light Heavyweight Championship. Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 4–0 | Nikolay Kovalenko | Decision (unanimous) | Khan Fight 2 | January 7, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Bursa, Turkey | Won the inaugural Khan Fight Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Mouhamadou Lamine | TKO (punches) | Khan Fight 1 | October 15, 2022 | 1 | 0:24 | Bursa, Turkey | Catchweight (220 lb) bout. |
| Win | 2–0 | Nazhmudin Yusupov | Submission (triangle choke) | ACA Young Eagles 27 | June 25, 2022 | 2 | 3:09 | Tolstoy-Yurt, Russia | |
| Win | 1–0 | Elbek Ravshanov | TKO (punches) | ACA Young Eagles 22 | November 12, 2021 | 1 | 3:00 | Tolstoy-Yurt, Russia | Light Heavyweight debut. |