Best Fighters Outside The UFC: Eldar Eldarov

Eldar Eldarov (14-1) is a World and European combat sambo champion, currently holding Brave CF’s Super Lightweight title. In his spare time, he coaches fighters on Bahrain’s national team, KHK MMA. His only career loss came at the hands of one of the greatest fighters of all time in 2009. Ever since… thirteen straight victories inside the cage. The 31-year-old was born in 1988 in Khunzakh, Dagestan, Russia. The small village of about 5,000 people is a three-hour drive from Republic Capital Makhachkala. Eldar grew up competing across multiple disciplines but buttered his bread in combat sambo. In addition to his MMA exploits, he captured European and World titles in the martial art. From 2009 to 2015, he competed in Russia’s regional MMA scene where he would suffer his sole loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0, now retired). Eldarov smartly befriended the fellow Dagestani and they now regularly train together. Eldar then relocated to Manama, Bahrain where he began training and coaching with KHK MMA. He signed with Bahrain-based Brave Combat Federation in 2016 and six years later Eldar is the Super Lightweight (165 lbs.) champion with two defenses under his belt. He doesn’t have a fight lined up for 2023 yet and his skills are surely UFC-worthy. However, it will be tough to pry the now Bahrainian National away from his home region.