Yousri Belgaroui

Belgaroui's Seattle win was one of the clearer proof-of-concept performances of his MMA run because he absorbed Abdul-Malik's early physical threat, extended the fight, and then finished with a knee late in round three. The result mattered because it showed he could beat a dangerous, explosive UFC prospect without needing a perfect start or a single clean counter early.

Key moments

• Stopped Mansur Abdul-Malik by third-round TKO at 3:39.
• The finish came from a knee after Belgaroui made the fight deeper and harder.
• It pushed his MMA record to 10 wins against 3 losses.

The Bekoev fight gave Belgaroui another meaningful name to pair with the Contender Series success, and he got it by rallying into a third-round finish. That mattered because it suggested his MMA adaptation was not only about controlling favorable striking looks early but about carrying danger long enough to finish a solid opponent late.

Key moments

• Stopped Azamat Bekoev 55 seconds into round three.
• The finish gave Belgaroui a second consecutive UFC-level statement win.
• It reinforced that his power and composure could hold up in longer fights.

Belgaroui's Contender Series appearance was a strong bridge between the kickboxing reputation and a more credible MMA future. He finished Iwasaki in the third round despite the eye-poke point deduction along the way, a win that mattered because it proved he could stay composed through adversity and still produce a late stoppage.

Key moments

• Stopped Taiga Iwasaki by third-round TKO at 2:34.
• Belgaroui overcame a point deduction in round two for multiple eye pokes.
• The win earned him his route onto the UFC roster.

Against Ahmed Sami, Belgaroui did something nearly as valuable as a knockout by winning five full rounds and taking a unanimous decision. That mattered because it suggested his game was becoming less fragile in MMA terms and because the win gave him a championship-level regional result before the Contender Series call arrived.

Key moments

• Beat Ahmed Sami by unanimous decision over five rounds.
• The victory came in a title-fight style regional main event setting.
• It gave Belgaroui a longer-form win before his 2024 DWCS opportunity.

Belgaroui's body attack and long-knee game were on display against Kvelidze, whom he finished at the very end of round one. The performance mattered because it helped restart momentum after the Marco Tulio setback and showed how dangerous his striking still becomes whenever opponents are forced to stand at his preferred range.

Key moments

• Stopped Giorgi Kvelidze at 4:59 of round one.
• The finish came from a knee to the body followed by punches.
• It put Belgaroui back on track after the Marco Tulio loss.

Belgaroui's first Contender Series shot ended in a competitive but clear decision loss to Marco Tulio at the Apex. MMA Fighting reported scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Tulio, making it a meaningful checkpoint in Belgaroui's transition before he rebuilt and earned a second route to UFC a year later.

Key moments

• Dropped a unanimous decision to Marco Tulio over three rounds on DWCS.
• The scorecards were 30-27 and 29-28 twice in Tulio's favor.
• The loss delayed Belgaroui's UFC call but did not stop his eventual return path through Contender Series.

Belgaroui moved back into the win column at UAE Warriors 35 by stopping Stefan Pretorius early in the second round in Abu Dhabi. UAE Warriors' own fighter record lists the finish at 0:43 of round two, another example of Belgaroui turning his kickboxing pressure into a fast MMA stoppage once the fight settled at range.

Key moments

• Stopped Pretorius by KO/TKO 43 seconds into round two.
• The bout took place on UAE Warriors 35: Africa 4 in Abu Dhabi.
• Added another finish to a record that was already trending heavily toward knockouts.

Belgaroui needed less than two minutes to stop Bohdan Kotlovjanov at Levels Fight League 7 in Amsterdam. Tapology identifies the finish as a body-shot stoppage, which tracks cleanly with the parts of Belgaroui's striking game that have translated best into MMA when opponents cannot get underneath him early.

Key moments

• Finished Kotlovjanov in round one at the 1:50 mark.
• Tapology records the stoppage as coming from a body shot.
• It gave Belgaroui a quick rebound before the later UAE Warriors win over Pretorius.

Osseili handed Belgaroui a second MMA loss by outpointing him over three rounds at UAE Warriors 31. The official result was a unanimous decision, and the setback mattered because it exposed some of the same transitional issues that had not yet been solved in Belgaroui's early cage career.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision to Osseili over the full 15 minutes.
• The fight took place at UAE Warriors 31: Arabia 8 in Abu Dhabi.
• Dropped to 4-2 in MMA before rebuilding with a stronger 2023 and 2024 run.

Belgaroui answered the close Ahmed Sami loss quickly by stopping Samir Zaidi late in the opening round at UAE Warriors 27. UAE Warriors' own records list the finish at 4:32 of round one, a useful bounce-back that restored momentum only a month after the split-decision setback.

Key moments

• Stopped Zaidi by first-round KO/TKO at 4:32.
• The win came one fight after the narrow Ahmed Sami defeat.
• Re-established Belgaroui's finishing threat on the UAE Warriors circuit.

Belgaroui's first meeting with Ahmed Sami was one of the closer fights on his ledger, ending in a split decision loss at UAE Warriors 25. That result mattered later because Belgaroui eventually avenged it in a five-round win at Levels Fight League 11, turning an early regional setback into one of the more meaningful corrections on his résumé.

Key moments

• Lost a split decision to Sami after three rounds in Abu Dhabi.
• The bout stood out as a competitive catchweight matchup rather than a one-sided defeat.
• Belgaroui later avenged the result with a unanimous decision win in February 2024.

Belgaroui's second professional MMA fight ended in his first stoppage, as he knocked out Sallah Dekhissi 2:44 into the opening round at UAE Warriors 17. Tapology's fighter history for Dekhissi matches the time and round, giving Belgaroui an immediate finishing follow-up to his debut decision win.

Key moments

• Stopped Dekhissi by KO/TKO at 2:44 of round one.
• Earned the finish on the UAE Warriors 17 card in Abu Dhabi.
• Moved to 2-0 in MMA with his first professional stoppage.

Belgaroui's MMA debut was a disciplined three-round win over Badreddine Diani at UAE Warriors 16. Dutch Fight Network's event write-up described him defending the takedowns, winning most of the striking exchanges, and taking a unanimous decision over a Sambo-based opponent in his first pro cage appearance.

Key moments

• Won his professional MMA debut by unanimous decision over Diani.
• Dutch Fight Network reported that he defended the takedowns and landed the cleaner strikes through the fight.
• Started his MMA career 1-0 on the UAE Warriors 16 card in Abu Dhabi.