Moving Up a Weight Class on Four Days' Notice, Denver Fighter Wins Big in UFC Debut

Muhammad Naimov was steps away from one of the most important fights of his life on June 3, but the Denver mixed martial artist was doing his best to shut out self-reflection. That hadn't worked for him the last time.

Four days earlier, he'd received a surprise call from the UFC to fly to Las Vegas and fight Jamie Mullarkey, whose original opponent, a Sweden-based fighter, couldn't get into the country because of visa issues. Scrambling to keep the fight going, UFC executives found an eager body in Naimov, who was expected to be just another stepping stone for a prospect on his way to a third straight win.

Naimov walked into the UFC Octagon the biggest underdog on the card. Not only that, but he was fighting at lightweight, ten pounds heavier than his normal 145-pound featherweight class.

About ten minutes later, the Tajikistan native was standing victorious over Mullarkey, a -1300 favorite on multiple major betting sites, after flooring the tough Australian with a flurry of hooks and hammer fists. Naimov flew back to Denver with a four-fight UFC contract and a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

"I controlled that emotion and the negative thoughts after receiving the offer, because I've already been there," Naimov reflects. "Some people thought I was just going to go to Vegas, lose, make some money and go home. The UFC pays for show and win, and they said, 'Show up and make that easy money.' But no. I'm here to win."

Three years ago, around the same time he moved to Denver, Naimov thought he was about to be the first Tajik-born fighter on the UFC roster. He'd received a call to compete in Dana White's Contender Series, an ESPN TV show that pits fighters from regional circuits against each other for a shot at the big league. This opportunity, too, came with short notice. It didn't go his way, however.

"I celebrated my victory before the Contender fight. I was so emotional," he recalls. "I was about to leave the sport after. It was getting hard, because everyone was turning down a fight with me."

Staying active is important for Naimov, who grew up in a country where martial arts are extremely popular and people fill arenas to cheer on native fighters as they compete in time zones around the world. He was a youth champion in kickboxing and tae kwon do in Tajikistan, but began to wonder if he was going to fulfill his dreams in the United States.

Naimov was further frustrated when the UFC signed two fighters from Tajikistan as he went on a hot streak in regional promotion Titan FC. Following a knockout victory over Dylan Shutte in front of UFC brass in Las Vegas in March, Naimov expected to get a second chance. A couple of months passed without a call, however.

He credits his coaches and teammates at Elevation Fight Team in Aurora for keeping him in martial arts. The 28-year-old striker says his Elevation teammate and top UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen persuaded him to continue training during down times.

"I felt so far from the UFC. Cory pushed me. He told me to be patient, and little by little it will come. These small things are now paying off," Naimov recalls.

That paid off with a call to come to Vegas at the end of May. Sandhagen, an alumni of Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, cornered Naimov during his fight against Mullarkey.

"Now I am a UFC fighter with a four-fight contract," Naimov says. "When you wait and wait and then an opportunity comes with a big opening and you land it, you feel so great."

Naimov is now hungry for another fight, and says he's asked UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Sean Shelby for a spot on a fight card this October in Abu Dhabi. Ultimately, he wants to perform in front of his fellow Tajiks in Denver.

"I really like Denver, and don't feel like I want to leave here any time soon. I like the nature here. The weather, elevation, I like it all," he says. "There is a big Tajik community out here, too. They're showing me big love right now. I believe if I fight in Denver one day, they're all going to show up."