Rinat Fakhretdinov

Rinat Ryashitovich Fakhretdinov (; ; ; born 29 September 1991) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2023, he is #15 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Early life
Rinat Ryashitovich Fakhretdinov was born to a Volga Tatar family on 29 September 1991, in the village of Belozere in the Romodanovsky District of the Mordovian ASSR, an autonomous republic within the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He started freestyle wrestling and Kūdō at the age of 13. In 2011, he moved from Saransk, Mordovia to Moscow and jointed the "sparta combat sambo club". To support himself, he held multiple jobs while studying law at Mordovia State University through correspondence.

Mixed martial arts career
In his early 20s, he transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA), participating in amateur tournaments and gaining experience. He secured the SFC championship and later received an invitation to compete in the GFC, a prominent MMA league in Russia. On 3 May 2019 he became the Gorilla Fighting Championship champion in middleweight division after a submission win over Alberto Pereira.

At the UAE Warriors 15 tournament, his knockout victory over Eric Spicely caught the attention of UFC president Dana White, who offered him a contract to join the UFC. This made Fakhretdinov the first Tatar fighter to compete in a Western MMA promotion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Fakhretdinov made his UFC debut on June 4, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 207 in a welterweight bout against Andreas Michailidis. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Fakhretdinov was expected to face Michael Morales on December 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 216. However, Morales pulled out fractured toe and was replaced by Bryan Battle. Fakhretdinov won the one-sided fight by unanimous decision.

Fakhretdinov faced Kevin Lee on July 1, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 48. He won the fight via technical submission due to a guillotine choke with in the opening minute.

Fakhretdinov is scheduled to face Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on November 4, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 231.

Championships and accomplishments
Eagle Fighting Championship (Then Gorilla Fighting Championship)
 GF Middleweight Championship (One time)
 One successful title defence
Russian combat sambo championships — 2nd
Moscow combat sambo championships — 1st

Mixed martial arts record

|-
|Win
|align=center|21–1
|Kevin Lee
|Technical Submission (guillotine choke)
|UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. Magomedov 
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:55
|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|20–1
|Bryan Battle
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland 
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|19–1
|Andreas Michailidis
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik 
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center|18–1
| Eric Spicely
| KO (punch)
| UAE Warriors 15
| 
| align=center|1
| align=center|0:55
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| 
|-
| Win 
| align=center|17–1
| Jhonny Carlos
| Decision (unanimous)
| GFC 16
| 
| align=center|3
| align=center|5:00
| Astrakhan, Russia
| 
|-
| Win
| align=center|16–1
| Alberto Emiliano Pereira
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| GFC 11
| 
| align=center|1
| align=center|4:13
| Penza, Russia
| 
|-
| Win 
| align=center|15–1
| Vladimir Migovich
| TKO (punches)
| Battle on Volga 9: Vitasovic vs. Teregulov
| 
| align=center|1
| align=center|1:09
| Kazan, Russia
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center|14–1
| Viktor Shabalov
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| Samara MMA Federation: Battle on the Volga 7
| 
| align=center|2
| align=center|3:15
| Samara, Russia
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 13–1
| Bayram Mamedov
| TKO (punches)
| Samara MMA Federation: Battle on the Volga 4
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| N/A
| Samara, Russia
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 12–1
| Kevin Oliver
| TKO (punches)
| Prosperity Fight Promo: Battle for Samara
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 4:13
| Samara, Russia
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 11–1
| Nurgazy Kaldar
| TKO (punches)
| SFC: Legacy of Sparta 3
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:50
| Botlikhsky, Russia
| 
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 10–1
| Emin Agaev
| KO (punches)
| SFC: Legacy of Sparta 2
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:10
| Botlikhsky, Russia
| 
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 9–1
| Denis Gunich
| Decision (unanimous)
| Octagon Fighting Sensation 8
| 
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
| Moscow, Russia
|
|-
| Win 
| align=center| 8–1
| Melis Joldoshev
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| World Ertaymash Federation 2
| 
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 2:04
| Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| 
|-
| Win
| align=center| 7–1
| Yuri Ilyin
| TKO (punches)
| SFC: Legacy of Sparta 1
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:15
| Zelenograd, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 6–1
| Erikson Betao
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| Fight Star - Saransk vs. Penza
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:05
| Saransk, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 5–1
| Ravshan Akhmedov
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| No. 1 Martial Arts Club - Beginning of the Road: Finals
| 
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 4:33
| Moscow, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 4–1
| Magomed Isaev
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| No. 1 Martial Arts Club - Beginning of the Road: Semifinals
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:22
| Moscow, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 3–1
| Marat Bekmuratov
| TKO (punches)
| No. 1 Martial Arts Club - Beginning of the Road: Quarterfinals
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:30
| Moscow, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 2–1
| Pavel Bodrov
| TKO (punches)
| Razdolie Cup 2
| 
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:30
| Zelenograd, Russia
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 1–1
| Aigun Akhmedov
| Decision (unanimous)
| rowspan=2|Igor Vovchanchyn Cup 3
| rowspan=2|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| rowspan=2|Kharkiv, Ukraine
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 1–0
| Aleksandr Svirid
| TKO (punches)
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:41
| 
|-

See also
 List of male mixed martial artists
 List of current UFC fighters

References

External links
 
 

1991 births
Living people
Russian male mixed martial artists
Lightweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo
Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
Ground-and-pound fighters
Russian sambo practitioners
Sportspeople from Saransk
Russian expatriates in the United States
Tatar people of Russia