The a common goal Among the most popular regional (or international) mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects is to one day compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Other major promotions like Bellator MMA, Professional Fighter’s Leagues and ONE Championship aren’t far behind. There are literally countless prospects all over the world working toward the same career goal, making it difficult to stand out in a sea of competition. As often as possible, MMAmania.com highlights a different combat sports prospect to keep an eye on.
Tyjani Beztati
Age: 29
Height: 6’3″
Weight class: Light
Record: 4-0
Gym: Days Gym in Almere, Netherlands
Some former kickboxers have made this transition smooth. Alex Pereira became the two-division UFC champion Israel Adesanya also reigned at the top of the middleweight division for several years. Tyjani Beztati has already built an impressive resume in kickboxing, and his early success in MMA makes him a name to watch as he pursues the same goal.
Beztati built a career in combat sports long before entering the MMA cage. Born and raised in East Amsterdam, he started training at the age of 10 and established an outstanding amateur kickboxing record, winning six national championships and a European title.
He signed with GLORY as a teenager and became one of the promotion’s most prominent lightweight fighters. Beztati won the GLORY Lightweight Championship in 2021 and defended the title five times before retiring from kickboxing to pursue MMA.
The transition involved a lot of learning. Beztat’s striking pedigree gives him a big advantage on the feet, but MMA requires a more complete skill set, from defensive takedowns to grappling and ground work. He has talked about additional training to improve these areas.
“My decision to switch to MMA was because I won everything in kickboxing,” Beztati recently told MMAmania.com. “In Glory, I was a six-time lightweight champion. Then they took away the lightweight division because there was no more competition. They didn’t want to invest in the division because I made the whole division. I actually fought some guys twice, some guys three times. You know, then they made me move up a weight class and then I went to the current champion, then I went against him. I had two fights with him that ended up being a draw.
“I thought about moving to MMA a few years before I actually did it, but I couldn’t commit to the ground game – and I couldn’t be the best without it,” Beztati said. “But now, obviously, I can commit and I’ve improved so much. I haven’t been able to show it because I’m knocking people out, but it’s there. I know people are going to try to bring me down for the rest of my career. It is what it is.”
So far, Beztati has made regulation easy. He is 4-0 as a pro MMA fighter, with all four wins coming by first-round stoppage. His most recent performance was his fastest to date: Beztati knocked out Daniel Kolasinski with a knee in under a minute at Levels Fight League 24 in September.
The competition is bound to get tougher as he climbs the ladder, and his grappling has yet to be tested for a long time. Still, his finishing ability and experience against high-profile forwards make him a compelling prospect. He’s not just a kickboxer trying out MMA. he is a decorated champion who is ready to learn a new sport from the ground up.
The UFC is the obvious destination. Beztati has said he hopes to reach the promotion’s Contender Series and his fast start has put that ambition on the horizon. If he continues to win while developing the rest of his game, he could become the next successful kickboxer to make a serious run in the Octagon.
“I want to fight one more time in 2027 and then take the next year to get more experience to do everything in my power to get into the UFC,” Beztati said. “So, yeah, it starts now because every fight is another stone, another brick in the wall that I’m building. I’ll be in the UFC next year. Whether it’s the Contender Series or they call me on short notice. And I’m ready.”
Check out some of Beztat’s highlights below:
