Bekzat Almakhan (1-2 UFC) will face Jin Matsumoto (3-2 UFC) at UFC Baku on June 27. The matchup was announced via Almakhan's social media. Almakhan is looking to bounce back from two consecutive losses in the UFC, while Matsumoto holds a winning record with three victories against two defeats. Both fighters will be seeking to improve their standing in the bantamweight division. The bout adds to the growing card for UFC's first event in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Bekzat Almakhan and Jin Matsumoto are set to collide at bantamweight when UFC Baku takes place on June 27, with the matchup confirmed through Almakhan's social media channels.
Almakhan, nicknamed "The Turan Warrior," enters the fight looking to arrest a two-fight losing skid inside the octagon. The 28-year-old Kazakhstani holds an overall professional record of 12-4-0 and trains out of Triumph Fights. Standing five-foot-seven with a 68-inch reach, the orthodox striker has posted 1.61 significant strikes landed per minute in UFC competition, though his striking accuracy sits at 34 percent, an area he will likely need to sharpen. His UFC ledger currently reads 1-2, making this bout a critical crossroads moment in his promotional tenure.
Matsumoto enters on the opposite side of the ledger, carrying a 3-2 UFC record that gives him a winning mark inside the promotion. Beyond those figures, verified data on the Japanese fighter was not available at time of reporting.
Why it matters
- Almakhan needs a victory to avoid falling to 1-3 in the UFC, a record that would seriously threaten his roster spot
- Matsumoto, with three UFC wins already banked, could use a fourth to push toward the fringes of the bantamweight rankings conversation
- The contrasting trajectories — one fighter on a skid, the other holding a winning UFC record — give the matchup clear divisional stakes despite neither man currently being ranked
- The bout contributes to what is shaping up as a significant card for UFC's inaugural event in Baku, Azerbaijan
