Kyrgyzstan MMA rises with new champions across major promotions

Kyrgyzstan is experiencing significant MMA growth beyond established stars Valentina Shevchenko and Rafael Fiziev. A new generation of elite fighters has emerged, including Rizin featherweight champion Razhabali Shaidullaev (25, 19-0), ACA interim welterweight champion Zhakshylyk Myrzabekov (27, 15-2), and middleweight Edil Essengulov (27, 14-4) who recently defeated Ibrahim Magomedov by submission. ONE Championship's Akbar Abdullaev (28, 13-0) has finished all five ONE fights by KO/TKO since 2023, while former Brave lightweight champion Kubanychbek Abdisalam (31, 23-3) left that promotion undefeated with two title defenses. UFC welterweight Myktybek Orolbay (28, 10-2) is pushing for top-15 ranking with his well-rounded skillset.