Mar 5, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Tagir Ulanbekov (blue gloves) reacts after losing to Tim Elliott (red gloves) during UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

mma

“Wanted To Stop The Fight” – Islam Makhachev Talks About Teammate Tagir Ulanbekov’s Abysmal Performance At UFC Qatar

Weight cuts remain one of the most brutal aspects of combat sports. Fighters shed enormous amounts of water weight in dangerously short periods. The process weakens the body and drains energy reserves completely. Some athletes cut 25 pounds or more within a week. Severe dehydration affects performance dramatically once the cage door closes. A similar thing happened to Islam Makhachev’s teammate, Tagir Ulankbekov.

Ulanbekov was the favourite going into the fight against the returning fighter Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Qatar. But as soon as the fight started, it was evident that Ulanbekov was not 100%. Now, Makhachev gave his take on his teammate’s abysmal performance after witnessing a horrific weight cut.

Islam Makhachev Details Tagir Ulenbekov’s Nightmare Weight Cut

Tagir Ulanbekov (17-3)opened the UFC Qatar main card against Kyoji Horiguchi. The flyweight bout should have been competitive between two skilled grapplers. Instead, Horiguchi dominated from the opening bell completely and thoroughly. He battered Ulanbekov’s lead leg with kicks and controlled grappling exchanges. The Japanese veteran secured a rear-naked choke submission in round three.

But the result told only part of the story according to Makhachev. The newly crowned welterweight champion spoke to Russian media after returning home. He revealed disturbing details about Ulanbekov’s preparation for the fight.

“It’s no secret that Tagir is actually older than me, And I saw his entire weight cut. No one had a tougher cut than he did. Even on fight day, I talked to him before and after the bout, telling him he shouldn’t be leaving so much energy in the weight cut.”

😳❌ Islam Makhachev reveals that he was close to stopping Tagir Ulanbekov's fight and it's most likely his last fight at Flyweight:

"It’s no secret that Tagir is actually older than me. And I saw his entire weight cut — no one had a tougher cut than he did. Even on fight day, I… pic.twitter.com/gRD9fmxEVt
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) November 23, 2025

The champion witnessed his teammate struggle severely to reach 125.5 pounds. Ulanbekov depleted himself dangerously trying to make flyweight successfully. The effects became obvious once Ulanbekov entered the octagon unfortunately.

Almost Throwing The Towel

Makhachev, who was in the corner revealed he seriously considered stopping the fight. He revealed that the first exchange made Ulanbekov unable to breathe. He was struggling hard against Horiguchi.

“Yesterday, Tagir showed maybe only 50% of himself. He walked out there, and after the very first exchange he was already swollen and couldn’t breathe. Honestly, I even wanted to stop the fight. But knowing Tagir’s character, that he fights until the very end, I didn’t do it. He simply didn’t feel comfortable enough to go out there and fight. I think our team will sit down and make a decision. Tagir won’t be cutting weight like that ever again.”

Makhachev knew Ulanbekov’s character too well to intervene ultimately. The respect for his teammate’s warrior mentality prevented him from throwing in the towel. However, he made it clear that this cannot happen again moving forward. The team plans to make serious decisions about Ulanbekov’s future. That strongly suggests Ulanbekov needs to move up to bantamweight immediately. The 125-pound weight class has become too difficult for his body. At 35 years old, the damage from extreme cuts only gets worse. His body can’t recover like younger fighters do after severe dehydration.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Islam Makhachev

Kyoji Horiguchi

Tagir Ulanbekov

UFC Qatar

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!