Diyar Nurgozhay

Diyar Nurgozhay, a 6'2" southpaw from Kazakhstan, holds an 11-2 professional record and has posted a 2-2 split across his last four UFC outings. The 27-year-old operates as a volume striker with solid technical efficiency, averaging 4.52 strikes landed per minute at 59% accuracy while maintaining 61% striking defense against 2.81 absorbed per minute.

Nurgozhay demonstrates competent wrestling credentials—landing takedowns at 75% accuracy and defending them at 80%—though his 1.37 takedown average per 15 minutes and zero submission threat suggest he relies primarily on his striking to dictate fights. His knockout power registers at 14.4, evidenced by his second-round TKO finish of Bartosz Szewczyk in October 2024, though recent losses to Brendson Ribeiro (submission, round two, March 2025) and Uran Satybaldiev (submission, round one, August 2025) expose vulnerability to submission specialists.

A unanimous decision victory over Rafael Tobias in March 2026 showed he can grind out decisions when striking fails to finish, but his submission defense remains a critical liability at light heavyweight. Nurgozhay needs a decisive win against a striker-heavy opponent to rebuild momentum in a competitive division.