Rinat Fakhretdinov

Rinat Fakhretdinov is a Russian welterweight, nicknamed 'Gladiator', who moved from Saransk to Moscow's Strela Combat Sports as a teenager and turned pro in 2013. His lone career blemish, a decision loss to Igor Svirid, came in 2014; he has not lost since, running off 18 straight pre-UFC wins and then going undefeated through his first seven Octagon appearances, with a majority-decision draw against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos the only blemish on his UFC ledger. Four of his six UFC wins have gone the distance, but his most recent, in September 2025, was a first-round finish of Andreas Gustafsson with punches in the clinch. Twelve of his 24 career wins overall have come by knockout and six by submission, reflecting a well-rounded, finish-first approach built up mostly on the regional Russian circuit before he arrived in the UFC.