Rizvan Kuniev

Overview

Three elite opponents in four UFC fights, and Rizvan Kuniev beat one of them. That is a heavy early schedule for a heavyweight with a 2-2 UFC record.

The Dagestan-born fighter trains with Atletica Sports and is 14-4-1 across all promotions. He debuted in the UFC in 2025 and carries a one-fight losing streak into his next outing.

Both of his UFC losses came on the scorecards, and so did one of his two wins over elite-tier opposition, if you count Almeida. The other win ended the fight.

UFC Career

Kuniev's route to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series, which isn't part of his UFC record. He won there twice, both by KO/TKO: Edivan Santos in the third round at 1:00 (2021), and Hugo Cunha in the first round at 4:59 (2024).

His UFC debut came in 2025 against Curtis Blaydes, an elite opponent by our model's tiers. He lost a split decision over three rounds.

In February 2026 he beat Jailton Almeida, another elite opponent, by unanimous decision. That is the best win on his UFC ledger.

He followed it with a third-round TKO of Tyrell Fortune at 1:12 in July 2026, his only UFC finish. Two straight wins is his longest streak to date.

Then came Alexander Volkov at UFC 333, a third elite opponent. Kuniev lost a unanimous decision and enters his next fight on a one-fight skid.

Four fights. Three against elite opposition. Two losses, both on the scorecards.

Fighting Style

Kuniev is a striker who lands more than he takes. He is accurate with his shots, lands at a busy rate, and absorbs far fewer strikes than most fighters, even though his defense on paper is about average.

He is also hard to take down, and he almost never goes looking for the mat himself. He rarely shoots for takedowns and rarely hunts for submissions, so his fights stay on the feet.

The finishing pattern is thin. His lone UFC stoppage, a knockout, came in round three, and he has no first-round finishes in the UFC. On the Contender Series he finished one fight in round three and one in round one, with Cunha going down at 4:59 of the opening round. With four UFC fights, it's a small sample.

Notable Wins

• Jailton Almeida — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira (2026)
• Tyrell Fortune — KO/TKO, round 3 at 1:12, UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov (2026)

Quick Facts

• Division: Heavyweight
• UFC record: 2-2 (1 KO/TKO, 1 decision)
• Professional record (all promotions): 14-4-1
• UFC debut: 2025
• Reach: 76"
• Height: 6'4"
• Team: Atletica Sports
• Born: Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia