Rinat “Gladiator”Fakhretdinov

Rinat Fakhretdinov is a Russian mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC welterweight division under the nickname “Gladiator.” Born on September 28, 1991, he is listed at 6 feet tall and trains at American Top Team. Fakhretdinov began his professional career in 2013 and developed a grappling-centered style built around freestyle wrestling, pressure and control. The UFC lists him as a former GFC middleweight champion and identifies freestyle wrestling as his favorite grappling technique.

Fakhretdinov made his UFC debut on June 4, 2022, defeating Andreas Michailidis by unanimous decision. During his UFC run, he defeated Bryan Battle, submitted Kevin Lee by guillotine choke on July 1, 2023, drew with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and earned decision victories over Nicolas Dalby and Carlos Leal. His final UFC appearance came on September 6, 2025, when he stopped Andreas Gustafsson by strikes in the opening round. As of September 15, 2026, UFC lists him as “Not Fighting,” while MMA Fighting reported that his contract concluded and he was not re-signed; therefore, he should be described as a former UFC fighter rather than a current UFC roster member.