Asaf Chopurov is set to make his UFC debut this weekend at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, stepping in against Colby Thicknesse after building a record that has made him look ready for the move. The 24-year-old enters the Octagon unbeaten as a professional, with an 11-0 mark that follows years of heavy amateur competition.
That background is what makes his first UFC appearance worth watching now. Chopurov logged 35 official amateur appearances and finished with a 34-1 record, closing that run on 23 straight wins. He also said he has almost 500 fights in amateur competition, a figure that helps explain why he talks about the jump to the UFC as a continuation rather than a leap. “These experiences really prepared me for going pro,” he said. “These are amazing memories for me — they have pushed me to go professional.”
His path through the regional scene was not built on volume alone. Chopurov won the bantamweight title under the UAE Warriors banner late last year, then defended it twice in March and July. In March, he stopped Adriano Ramos in the opening round. In July, he did the same to Reece McLaren. Those wins came before the UFC called, and they frame him as a newcomer who is arriving with a full ledger behind him.
That is also where the oddity sits in this debut. He is being presented as highly experienced, yet this is still his first UFC fight. Chopurov has leaned into that contrast, saying, “It’s worked like this because I have been in every position in my life because I have a lot of fights,” and adding that while some fighters panic before a UFC debut, “for me, this is simple.” He went further: “This is my way. (Inside the Octagon) is where I’m meant to be.”
He also completed his camp with Petr Yan, who defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili in Saturday's co-main event. That link gives Chopurov another layer of relevance on the same card, but his own test is straightforward: whether the experience that carried him through nearly 500 amateur fights and 11 straight pro wins can hold up when the UFC spotlight turns on him for the first time. For now, the answer will come only when he walks out in Abu Dhabi.
