Andrey Pulyaev

Andrey Pulyaev is a 28-year-old Russian middleweight who arrived in the UFC in 2025 after earning his contract on Dana White's Contender Series. A lifelong fighter who formalized his training in 2021, Pulyaev holds a black belt in Kudo and carries the no-nonsense striking style of someone raised in combat. His professional record of 10-3 reflects both the promise and the growing pains of a prospect still finding his level.

What makes Pulyaev dangerous is his finishing power. He has six knockout victories and five first-round finishes, and he lands his significant strikes from distance 77% of the time. His signature weapons are brutal body kicks and crisp left-hand combinations that can shut down opponents' pressure. Against Nick Klein in August 2025, he demonstrated this cleanly, stopping Klein in the second round with a well-placed kick. His UFC debut against Christian Leroy Duncan in March 2025 showed composure over three rounds as he controlled distance and applied his striking game methodically.

However, recent losses to Ateba Gautier and Nursulton Ruziboev have exposed gaps in Pulyaev's defensive wrestling and grappling acumen. The Gautier loss was particularly instructive: Pulyaev was dropped twice and didn't have the wresting or clinch work to recover from being overwhelmed by constant pressure, even as he landed heavy body kicks. The submission loss to Ruziboev in June 2026 underscored the risk of facing grappling-first opponents.

At 10-3, Pulyaev remains a prospect with real upside but needs to tighten his wrestling and develop answers for pressure-fighting styles. If he does, his hand speed and finishing power position him as a name to watch in the middleweight division.