5 Things You Might Not Know About Nursulton Ruziboev

Nursulton Ruziboev seems intent on weaving his way through traffic in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division.

Armed with an eye-catching 94% finish rate, the physically imposing 6-foot-5 Uzbek upstart will do battle with Dana White’s Contender Series alum Dustin Stoltzfus in a featured UFC Fight Night 256 attraction this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ruziboev, 31, steps back into the spotlight having won 11 of his past 12 bouts, a unanimous decision defeat to Joaquin Buckley his only misstep. He last saw action on Feb. 22, when he buried Eric McConico with punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 252 pairing.

As Ruziboev approaches his forthcoming clash with Stoltzfus at 185 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He took a traditional route to MMA.

Ruziboev was born on Nov. 19, 1993 in Shahrixon, Uzbekistan—a city of some 70,000 people situated on the far eastern side of the Central Asian country, not far from the Kyrgyzstan border. He started his formal martial arts training in karate and sambo during his school-age years, then turned to mixed martial arts as a teenager.

2. Early returns provided a forecast for what was to come.

“Black” made his professional debut at the age of 20 when he disposed of Shamil Rafikov with a second-round rear-naked choke under the Alash Pride banner in August 2014. It was something of a harbinger. Ruziboev now owns a 35-9-2 record that includes 33 finishes, five of the sub-minute variety. He has competed in three different weight classes: lightweight, welterweight and middleweight.

3. He enjoys success in excess.

Ruziboev held titles in the World Ertaymash Federation, World Fighting Championship Akhmat and Open Fighting Championship organizations prior to signing with the UFC in 2023.

4. His travel agent stays busy.

A protégé of John Marquez at Marquez Mixed Martial Arts in Philadelphia, the well-traveled Ruziboev has fought in eight different countries. In addition to his native Uzbekistan, he has suited up in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Bahrain and the United States.

5. Life after fighting should not be an issue.

Ruziboev holds a master’s degree in economics from the National University of Uzbekistan, a public research institution with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students.