Vugar Karamov “Vugi”
Featherweight (66.0kg) · Azerbaijan · RIZIN
A judo, wushu sanda and combat sambo product who is dangerous both standing and on the mat. RIZIN's official profile highlights his core strength and heavy striking, and his wins split almost evenly between nine submissions and seven KO/TKOs.
Submitting Mikuru Asakura by rear-naked choke at 2:41 of round one at Super RIZIN.2 (July 30, 2023) to win the vacant RIZIN featherweight championship.
Record & stats
| Division | Featherweight (66.0kg) |
|---|---|
| Categories | MMA |
| Promotion | RIZIN |
| Nationality | Azerbaijan |
| Born | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Team | Gabala Club |
| Pro debut | 2012-04-06 |
| Height | 175cm5′9″ |
| Reach | 179cm5′10″ |
| Age | 34 |
| KO rate | 33% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
76% Finish rate- 7 KO/TKO · 33%
- 9 Submission · 43%
- 5 Decision · 24%
Recent results
- —vs Ryo Takagi
Auto-linked from KIAI's event coverage — updated as fights are decided.
Titles & honors
- 4th RIZIN Featherweight Champion (won July 30, 2023 at Super RIZIN.2; lost November 4, 2023 at RIZIN LANDMARK 7 in Azerbaijan)
Biography
Vugar Karamov is an MMA fighter out of Baku, Azerbaijan and a former RIZIN featherweight champion. He won the vacant 4th RIZIN featherweight title on July 30, 2023 at Super RIZIN.2, submitting Mikuru Asakura with a rear-naked choke at 2:41 of round one. On September 10, 2026 he returns in the third bout of "ANGEL CHAMPAGNE presents Super RIZIN.5" at Kyocera Dome Osaka, opposite Ryo Takagi.
Record
Karamov is 21-7-0 as of September 8, 2026 (Sherdog).
| KO/TKO | Submission | Decision | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 wins | 7 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 7 losses | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
He has not fought in 2026. His most recent bout was a loss to Kleber Koike Erbst on December 31, 2025 at Yogibo presents RIZIN Shiwasu no Cho Tsuwamono Matsuri; RIZIN's official result page scores it 0-3 over three rounds. RIZIN's own fight table puts him at 7-4 across 11 bouts inside the promotion.
His stance — orthodox or southpaw — is listed on neither RIZIN's official profile nor his ESPN bio, and has not been made public.
Career
Born February 20, 1992, Karamov is 34. RIZIN's official profile lists him at 175cm with a 179cm reach, competing at 66.0kg out of Gabala Club; Sherdog's association field still reads "Orion Fight Club," so the sources differ on his gym. That same RIZIN profile says he trained in judo, wushu sanda and combat sambo, won an Islamic Championship in wushu, and turned professional in April 2012 on a CIS card in Russia — the month and event matching the earliest fight on his Sherdog record.
He knocked out Gustavo Wurlitzer in round one at Bellator 234 in November 2019, then debuted in RIZIN on February 22, 2020, taking a unanimous decision over Kyle Aguon at RIZIN.21. His title shot came about after champion Kleber Koike Erbst was stripped for missing weight, leaving the belt vacant; Karamov beat Asakura for it in July 2023 (BOUTREVIEW). His first defense, at home in Azerbaijan on November 4, 2023, ended in a first-round KO loss to Chihiro Suzuki at 1:28.
He rebounded with a 28-second TKO of Kazumasa Majima on November 17, 2024, then moved up to lightweight (71.0kg) on December 31, 2024 to challenge champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza at RIZIN DECADE / RIZIN.49, losing to a triangle choke at 4:45 of round one. He beat Shuya Kimura by unanimous decision on June 14, 2025. A November 2025 bout with Koyomi Matsushima at RIZIN LANDMARK 12 in Kobe was cancelled when Karamov was pulled by doctors with viral gastroenteritis, per RIZIN.
At Super RIZIN.5
Karamov meets Ryo Takagi under RIZIN MMA rules — three five-minute rounds at 66.0kg — as bout three on the card (RIZIN official). Sherdog lists Takagi at 11-3-0, and RIZIN's official preview describes him as riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two finishes.
The main event that night is the RIZIN and PFL featherweight double title fight between Rajabali Shaidullaev and AJ McKee, which places Karamov–Takagi directly in the same 66.0kg queue. It is Karamov's first outing of 2026, and since losing the belt in November 2023 he has alternated wins and losses across four fights.
The record and career of Ryo Takagi are covered in that fighter's own profile.
Sources
Fight history
- LKleber Koike ErbstL Decision (Unanimous) R3
- WShuya KimuraW Decision (Unanimous) R3
- LRoberto Satoshi de SouzaL Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 4:45
- WKazumasa MajimaW TKO (Elbows on the Ground) R1 0:28
- LChihiro SuzukiL KO (Upkick and Punches) R1 1:28
- WMikuru AsakuraW Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R1 2:41
FAQ
- What is Vugar Karamov's record?
- 21-7-0 as of September 8, 2026: seven KO/TKO wins, nine submissions, four decisions and one other, against one KO, one submission and five decision losses (Sherdog).
- How old is Vugar Karamov and where is he from?
- Born February 20, 1992 in Baku, Azerbaijan, he is 34 as of September 8, 2026. He stands 175cm with a 179cm reach and fights at featherweight, 66.0kg.
- Who does Vugar Karamov fight next?
- Ryo Takagi, in bout three of Super RIZIN.5 at Kyocera Dome Osaka on September 10, 2026, under RIZIN MMA rules: three five-minute rounds at 66.0kg.
- Was Vugar Karamov a RIZIN champion?
- Yes. He won the vacant 4th RIZIN featherweight title by submitting Mikuru Asakura in round one on July 30, 2023, then lost it to Chihiro Suzuki on November 4, 2023.