Sherdog Prospect Watch: Askar Mozharov

The Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division will welcome a new addition at UFC Fight Night 207 when Askar Mozharov walks to the Octagon for the first time on June 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Ukrainian will lock horns with Alonzo Menifield as a short-notice replacement for Nicolae Negumereanu. “No Mercy” carries a 21-8 record and looks to be one of the more experienced competitors to make a UFC debut in recent memory. Mozharov’s opposition boasts a 203-150 combined record (.575).

Operating out of Chornomorsk, Ukraine, Mozharov started his combat sports journey in muay Thai at the age of 14, going so far as to win a silver medal at the World Muay Thai Federation national championships. He also tested himself in full-contact karate before he transitioned to mixed martial arts. “No Mercy” competed under his birth name, Arthur Shadakov, for a time prior to adopting the name he now bears. Whether in victory or defeat, Mozharov rarely leaves his fate in the judges’ hands: Only two of his 29 bouts have gone the distance. The AKA Thailand standout seems comfortable engaging opponents on the canvas, but he usually likes to finish them on the feet. Mozharov has delivered 13 of his 21 pro wins by knockout or technical knockout.

Mozharov first appeared on the MMA scene on July 11, 2014, when he took a unanimous decision from Ustym Slobodian under the Open Professional Fighting Arena Safari banner. He eventually piled up seven consecutive victories before Alexei Ivanov chopped him down with punches in the first round of their Fight Nights Global pairing in December 2015. Mozharov then went a disappointing 1-4 in 2016 and failed to capture the World Fighting Championship Akhmat middleweight title from Beslan Ushukov at WFCA 30.

Another angle of the spin kick KO from Askar Mozharov pic.twitter.com/nWefkeUi9n
— MEGATON (Post-Modern Baseball) (@BasedDongeezus) June 1, 2018

One of Mozharov’s most impressive wins went down at Rebel Fighting Championship 8 in May 2018, as he zapped Cheick Kone with a lightning-fast spinning back kick inside the first minute of the first round. Kone dropped to the canvas upon impact and was met with a follow-up shot before the stoppage was called 58 seconds into Round 1.

In more recent times, Mozharov has pieced together a three-fight winning streak within the Professional Pankration Championship organization. He authored a 33-second knockout of Evgeniy Golub at PPC 12 in November 2020, the performance earning him a return trip to the United States. There, he wiped out Victor Jones just eight seconds into their bareknuckle clash. Mozharov then set his sights back on MMA but has had to withdraw from three subsequent matches, one in the Professional Fighters League and two in the UFC. Now, he finally appears to be ready to showcase his skills inside the Octagon.