Russian Prospect of the Month: Islam Omarov

ACA Featherweight Champion Islam Omarov has maintained a flawless record throughout his MMA career, going 17-0 with his last ten fights in the notoriously tough ACA promotion. Omarov’s combination of physicality and grappling poses a scary threat to almost any featherweight on the planet. While his striking may not be at the same level, he is confident and capable. He has shown himself to be comfortable working on the backfoot, with solid kicks to the legs and body. Omarov also has 12 finishes in his 17 wins, a testament to his great finishing ability. With three title defenses and finishes in his last six fights, Omarov has shown that he’s a step above the ACA roster at 145lbs. 

After knee surgery forced him to sit out all of 2025, Omarov returned within the first two weeks of 2026. He faced Alikhan Suleymanov in a rematch of their 2023 fight, one of the toughest bouts in Omarov’s career and the one in which he claimed the championship. This fight tested Omarov even more than their last, but showed how gritty and dangerous he can be in a chaotic fight. 

Omarov initiated the offense, landing a big overhand right and left hook, pushing Suleymanov to the cage while stumbling. Omarov followed with a pair of overhands and another left hook, dropping the former champion in 28 seconds. After dropping down, Omarov locked up the neck and went for his dangerous guillotine. Suleymanov was wise to it and stood back up when he had the chance, forcing Omarov to let go. Omarov then pressed forward while looking to land some thunderous uppercuts.

After getting overaggressive, he was clipped by a knee and sat down with a left hook in a wild turn of events. Omarov sat up, looking to land a takedown and survive the scary moment. Suleymanov countered with a guillotine, but Omarov quickly wiggled out and stood up. After missing a ground and pound punch, Omarov was reversed and put on his back, attempting to hit a switch. Suleymanov jumped on the back, hanging onto Omarov as he stood up while heavily threatening the RNC. The champion tucked his chin and broke the grip, shaking Suleymanov off. After being shaken off, Suleymanov stumbled to the floor in a sitting position. Omarov pounced on the opportunity and locked up a modified guillotine choke, cranking on the neck and adjusting his leg over the back. The power from the crank and Omarov’s strength were evident, forcing a tap from Suleymanov.

With Islam Omarov improving to a ridiculously impressive 17-0 and being just 28 years old, the sky is the limit. His ACA contract status is currently unknown, but the likelihood that he will leave the promotion decreases every year. The mystery doesn’t end there, however, as his team and gym are also unconfirmed. One of his coaches, Shamil Alibatyrov, is the head coach of “A Fighting Club Gorets”. Alibatryov has cornered Magomed Ankalaev, Uran Satybaldiev, Muslim Salikhov, and more recently, Murtazali Magomedov on DWCS. His corner has a clear connection to the UFC, but it remains a big question whether he will explore it.

If he stays in ACA, the most interesting prospect would be moving up to challenge for the lightweight title. It may be wishful thinking, but a cross-promotion fight against Rizin’s Featherweight Champion, Razhabali Shaydullaev, would be the biggest fight to make for Omarov outside of the UFC.