The Honey Badger Has Never Been Stopped — And Now He Faces Reece McLaren
Asaf Chopurov is 24 years old, 10 fights into his professional career, and has never once heard the final bell ring against him. Of his ten wins, nine came by finish, of those finishes, five were rear naked chokes. He holds the UAE Warriors Bantamweight Championship, and on July 23 at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi, he will put it on the line against one of the most experienced bantamweights in Asian MMA: Reece McLaren.
The record tells most of the story. A 90% finish rate is not a style preference — it is what happens when a fighter dominates often enough, early enough, that his opponents have no path to the scorecards. Chopurov trains under Chingiz Allazov, the decorated kickboxing champion, and his foundation discipline — Jeet Kune Do, the martial art developed by Bruce Lee — is not a headline but a technical baseline. Whatever philosophy sits underneath, what emerges in the cage is a fighter who pressures quickly and finds ways to end fights.
A Path Built on Amateur Dominance
Chopurov competes under the Azerbaijani flag and fights out of Volgograd, Russia, a city with deep roots in combat sports culture. He made his professional debut on September 9, 2023, in Baku — a submission win over Xabib Mikayilov at New Generation Fighting 3. He was 21. By the time he signed with UAE Warriors, he had already accumulated a reported amateur record in the region of 34-1, including titles in Russia and an appearance on the international stage that announced him to anyone paying close attention.
That international announcement came in January 2022 in Abu Dhabi — where IMMAF held its Junior World Championships over five consecutive days. Chopurov won five bouts in five days to claim the IMMAF Junior World title. The competition stretched across January 24 to 28: a decision win, two arm-triangle submissions, another decision, and a unanimous decision win in the final over Ivan Pasych. Five bouts, five wins, zero days off. That sequence came before a single professional fight.
He also won the Russian MMA Championship of Seniors in 2023 — the senior national title, not the junior circuit — confirming that his amateur achievements extended beyond age-group competition. By June 2023 he was the Russian senior national MMA champion. Three months later, he turned professional.
The Professional Run: Speed and Submission
His professional career reads like a fighter who had already done the learning before the record started. Two quick finishes in Russia — a knee to the body that stopped Zaydullo Zaydulloev in Round 1 at OFC 38, and a first-round rear naked choke over Sharaputdin Ataev at RCC 18 — before he stepped up to face Denis Lavrentyev at RCC 19. Lavrentyev carried a 13-3 record. Chopurov finished him via ground and pound at 2:05 of Round 1.
His UAE Warriors debut came in July 2024 at what was then the Adnec Marina in Abu Dhabi. The opponent was Su Sung Cho, a former ONE Championship fighter. Chopurov submitted him via rear naked choke in the third round. A preliminary card introduction — quiet for someone who would be champion 15 months later.
He spent the middle portion of 2024 adding a win on his home circuit (a unanimous decision over Nikita Mikhailov at RCC 20, his only fight to go to the scorecards), then returned to UAE Warriors in January 2025 for a catchweight bout against Wanderley Junior. Three rounds, third-round rear naked choke.
In July 2025 at UAE Warriors 57, he matched up with João Pedro Saldanha. Saldanha came in 7-0 in the professional ranks. Chopurov stopped him via TKO punches at 2:49 of Round 1.
Becoming Champion: Two Title Fights, Two Finishes
The vacant UAE Warriors Bantamweight Championship bout came at UAE Warriors 64 in October 2025. Demarte Pena — “The Wolf” — entered with a 16-3 professional record and an 8-0 run inside the UAE Warriors cage. He was the most credentialed opponent Chopurov had faced. The bout went three rounds, five minutes each. Chopurov had worn him down across 15 minutes of championship-format fighting until Pena decided not return to the cage for the fourth round. He won by TKO — retirement.
He was 23 years old. He was the UAE Warriors Bantamweight Champion.
His first defence came on March 28, 2026, at UAE Warriors 69 at ADNEC Centre Al Ain. The challenger was Adriano Ramos, who entered the fight at 14-6. Chopurov submitted him by rear naked choke in Round 1 at 2:24. The belt remained.
What Comes Next: McLaren at UAE Warriors 72
Reece McLaren arrives at UAE Warriors 72 on July 23 with a 19-9 record and a career forged across years of elite Asian MMA competition. He is the most experienced opponent Chopurov has faced, measured by bouts alone — 28 professional fights against Chopurov’s 10. The championship distance is five five-minute rounds, the format in which Chopurov won the title and made his first defence.
The matchup will test whether Chopurov’s pace and submission hunting can break down a fighter who has been in long, competitive championship-level exchanges. It will also test whether McLaren’s experience translates to answers for a champion who has, across ten fights, found a way to finish nine opponents.
UAE Warriors 72 takes place July 23, 2026, at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi and will be broadcast live on UFC Fight Pass.
