Umar Dzambekov has always treated every fight like he is the main event, and now he is.
Dzambekov will face Artem Brusov in a 10-round light heavyweight main event this coming Friday at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California. The bout will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Dzambekov, 12-0 (8 KOs), will be fighting for the third time in 2025, but it will be his first opportunity to headline in the last bout of the night.
“I always said when I fight, I feel like I am the main event,” Dzambekov told BoxingScene. “I always feel like everyone is there to see me and watch me.”
Dzambekov, who trains with Marvin Somodio, began working with Somodio when he came to the United States from Austria to chase his dream of becoming a titleholder. Dzambekov found a home in Los Angeles, and now he will be in his 10th fight with Somodio.
“He doesn’t force me to do anything, and he knows my style,” said Dzambekov, 27. “It has been going well.”
Dzambekov is inching towards his goal of being a top contender. In his previous fight, he defeated Roamer Alexis Angulo, a game veteran best known for defeating Anthony Sims Jnr in 2020. Dzambekov envisions big fights with the top names in the division, and his intended timeline doesn’t follow a long arc.
“I am ready right now,” Dzambekov said. “I would say let me get a little more experience in 10-round fights, and that’s it. I don’t see much of a difference between myself and the guys at the top of the division.
“I want people to know my name. I want to be at the top as well.”
Brusov, 13-1 (12 KOs), is a 34-year-old Russian power puncher training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He most recently stopped Wilson Santana in the Dominican Republic in May. That followed a stretch of two years of inactivity for Brusov following a 2023 loss to Atif Oberlton.
A win over Brusov is the obvious immediate goal for Dzambekov, but it’s all part of a larger vision.
“I am trying to make the other dreams a reality as well,” he said. “Main-eventing a card is another goal I am fulfilling.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
