Shamil Gamzatov

Shamil Gamzatov was born on August 9, 1990, in Kizlyar, Dagestan, Soviet Union. He began his athletic journey at the age of 8, training in freestyle wrestling. An injury to his knee led him to retire from wrestling. At 15, he transitioned to Amateur MMA under Zalimkhan Tatev, quickly finding success. He earned titles as the European and World MMA Amateur Champion, alongside becoming a Dagestan national kickboxing champion. Gamzatov also secured three Abu-Dhabi grappling tournament victories and a gold medal at the World Grappling Championships (World Grappling Association) in the 92 kg category.

Gamzatov turned professional in mixed martial arts in 2012, competing successfully in various promotions. His professional career highlights include a debut in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) on January 23, 2016, where he defeated Teddy Holder by TKO in the first round at WSOF 27. He then fought in Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), securing a split decision win over Rodney Wallace at ACB 51 on January 13, 2017. Following this, he joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he earned unanimous decision victories against Eddie Gordon at PFL 3 on July 5, 2018, and Rex Harris at PFL 6 on August 16, 2018. His consistent performance led to a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

In the UFC, Gamzatov made his debut on November 9, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 163, winning a split decision against Klidson Abreu. While his initial UFC run saw several scheduled fights canceled due to travel restrictions and visa issues, he ultimately faced Michał Oleksiejczuk at UFC 267 on October 30, 2021, where he experienced his first professional loss via TKO in the first round. Gamzatov later departed from the UFC due to ongoing visa complications. Throughout his career, he has accumulated 15 wins, with 5 by knockout, 5 by submission, and 5 by decision, demonstrating a range of combat skills.