The common goal among most up-and-coming regional (or international) mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects is to one day compete for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Other major promotions such as Bellator MMA, Professional Fighter’s Leagues, and ONE Championship are not far behind. Literally, countless prospects across the globe are all working toward the same career goal, making it difficult to stand out in the sea of competition. As often as possible, MMAmania.com will highlight a different combat sports prospect to keep your eyes on.

Tyjani Beztati
Age: 29
Height: 6’3”
Weight class: Lightweight
Record: 4-0
Gym: Days Gym in Almere, Netherlands

A few former kickboxers have made that transition look seamless. Alex Pereira became a two-division UFC champion, while Israel Adesanya also ruled to 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 was building toward a career in combat sports long before he entered an MMA cage. Born and raised in East Amsterdam, he started training at 10 years old and built an outstanding amateur kickboxing record, winning six national championships and a European title.

He signed with GLORY as a teenager and went on to become one of the promotion’s standout Lightweight fighters. Beztati captured the GLORY Lightweight championship in 2021 and defended the title five times before stepping away from kickboxing to pursue MMA.

The transition came with plenty to learn. Beztati’s striking pedigree gives him a major advantage on the feet, but MMA demands a more complete skill set, from takedown defense to grappling and ground work. He has spoken about putting in extra training to round out those areas.

“So my decision to transition to MMA was because I won everything in kickboxing,” Beztati told MMAMania.com recently. “In Glory, I was a six-time world champion in the lightweight division. Then they removed the lightweight division because there was no competition anymore. They didn’t want to invest in the division because I cleared out the whole division. Actually, fought some guys twice, some three times. You know, then they actually kind of forced me to move up a weight class, and then I went to the welterweight division, beat the former champion, and then I faced the current champion. Had two fights that were draws with him. In my opinion, I won both, and not only my opinion, but also the majority of the people in their eyes.”

“I thought about moving to MMA a few years before I actually did, but I couldn’t commit to the ground game — and without that I couldn’t be the best,” Beztati said. “But now, obviously, I can commit and have improved so much. I haven’t been able to show it because I’m knocking people out, but it’s there. I know people will try to take me down for the rest of my career. It is what it is.”

So far, Beztati has made the adjustment look easy. He is 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter, and all four wins have come by first-round stoppage. His latest performance was his quickest yet: Beztati knocked out Daniel Kolasinski with a highlight knee in under a minute at Levels Fight League 24 in September.

The competition will need to get tougher as he climbs the ladder, and his grappling has yet to be tested over a prolonged stretch. Still, his finishing ability and experience against high-level strikers make him a compelling prospect. He is not simply a kickboxer trying MMA; he is a decorated champion willing to learn a new sport from the ground up.

The UFC is the clear destination. Beztati has said he hopes to reach the promotion’s Contender Series, and his rapid start has put that ambition within view. If he keeps winning while developing the rest of his game, he could become the next accomplished kickboxer to make a serious run in the Octagon.

“I want to fight once more in 2027 and then take the next year to gain more experience to do everything in my ability to get to the UFC,” Beztati said. “So yeah, that starts now because every fight is going to be another stone, another brick in the wall I’m building. I’ll be in the UFC next year. Whether be through Contender Series or they call me for a short notice. And I’ll be ready.”