Summary
Yousri Belgaroui knocked out Bekoev in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Yousri Belgaroui arrived at the UFC with everything and the one who suffered was Azamat Bekoev. Last Saturday (18), in Canada, his friend and training partner Alex Poatán took no notice of the Russian and punished him in the octagon, knocking him out in the third round. With this important victory in his debut, the Dutchman celebrated not only because of his convincing performance, but also because of the atmosphere his rival created..
Before the fight, Bekoev delivered a harsh "trash talk," questioning the athlete's skill level. Not satisfied, the Russian claimed that Belgaroui only got the UFC contract because Poatan begged the brass to give his friend a chance, even saying, "No Chama."
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It's worth noting that the striker appeared twice on the 'Contender Series' program, but failed to impress Dana White. After winning the duel, Yousri, at the post-event press conference, thanked the partnership with Glover Teixeira and Poatan and explained how he got his dream contract with the UFC.
"Yes, it was motivation. Alex didn't do anything like that. He helps me a lot, inspires me, we train together, teaches me things. Alex and Glover do a lot for me, but not in the sense of helping me get a contract. The reason I got this fight was because some fighters canceled their fight against Bekoev, they didn't accept it. It was difficult for him to find an opponent on short notice. Obviously, he thought it would be an easy fight, but I knew it wouldn't be. I prepared very well, not just for him, but for everyone in the UFC. I knew this guy had good striking and good wrestling, so if I won, I would be fighting better guys. I prepared and came out on top," said the athlete.
Fight for real
And it didn't stop there. After suffering from his rival's provocations, Yousri retaliated. Besides emphasizing that the Russian's trash talk had fueled his desire to prove his quality and worth, he also exposed a situation with him during the staredown that, in his opinion, changed the course of the fight.
Angered by Bekoev's slight, Belgaroui, considered the underdog for the duel, ultimately had the last laugh. The Dutchman beat his rival so badly that he drew blood and made him eat his words.
"He really underestimated me. I saw him talking nonsense for weeks. At first, I thought he was just trying to build up the fight, but then I thought this guy was really over the top. Maybe because he had a really good record, some good submissions, but when we faced him, he started talking, and I really thought he was over the top. He told me to give him the best fight I could give him. As if I was there to lose. I said, 'Son of a bitch, you have nothing on me. Who do you think you are? What are you going to do? I know you think you know striking and wrestling, but I'm not an idiot.' At that moment, I saw in his eyes that he knew he was in for a fight. He was expecting something completely different," he concluded.
Watch Belgaroui's knockout of Bekoev
An absurd sequence of Yousri Belgaroui to close the fight in the third round! #UFCVancouver
[Watch the event LIVE on @UFCFightPassBR | Subscribe now: https://t.co/OD62F561g5 ] pic.twitter.com/XZ3DwJZx7t
- UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) October 18, 2025
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