LFA champion Artem Belakh (11-2) will participate in the new season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. The announcement indicates he will be joined by other representatives from CIS countries. The channel promises to reveal the other CIS participants soon. Belakh's inclusion represents an opportunity for the regional champion to earn a UFC contract through the competition format. Details about which other fighters from the region will join him remain forthcoming.
Artem Belakh, the reigning LFA champion carrying an 11-2 professional record, has been confirmed as a participant in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, the long-running reality competition series that awards its winners a UFC contract.
The announcement notes that Belakh will not be the only fighter from the CIS region taking part. Organizers have indicated additional representatives from the region will be named in the coming days, though no further names have been disclosed at this stage.
Belakh enters the competition as a credentialed regional champion, and a strong run through the TUF house would represent a significant step toward establishing himself on the sport's biggest stage. The LFA has historically served as one of the primary developmental platforms feeding talent into the UFC, and a championship there carries genuine weight as a qualifier for the next level.
Why it matters
- A TUF contract would move Belakh directly onto the UFC roster, bypassing the traditional contender-series route.
- The inclusion of multiple CIS-region fighters signals continued international expansion in how the UFC sources talent through the show.
- Further announcements about the remaining CIS participants are expected shortly, which may clarify the divisional focus of this season's cast.
