Namo Fazil Says 15 Chechens Attacked Him Before DWCS Loss

Namo Fazil claims a group of 15 Chechen men confronted him in his hotel room the night before his Dana White's Contender Series fight, and that UFC middleweight prospect Baisangur Susurkaev slapped him twice during the altercation.

The Kurdish welterweight lost by knockout to Brazilian prospect Kaik Brito just 12 seconds into the third round on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, snapping a seven-fight winning streak and costing him a UFC contract. Fazil addressed the incident in an Instagram video, saying he was deep into his weight cut when the confrontation happened.

"I was in the middle of my weight cut," Fazil said. "I only had about three or four kilograms left to lose. For fights, I cut around 14 kilograms [30 pounds] in total, and I'd already lost more than 10 kilograms. Then, while I was in that condition, someone was going to come into my room and attack me."

Fazil said there was a knock at his door roughly three minutes later and that 15 men, whom he identified as Chechen, entered his room. He said his coaches had to physically hold him back from responding.

"One of them suddenly came at me and slapped me," Fazil said. "Then he slapped me a second time." He said he told the man to wait until after his fight to settle things, and that the group ran off once a scuffle broke out and police arrived.

What Sparked the Alleged Confrontation

The tension traces back to Fazil's own trash talk in the lead-up to Contender Series. Fazil had repeatedly called out UFC welterweight prospect Islam Dulatov, pushing for a fight in Abu Dhabi around Dulatov's planned Octagon debut. That back-and-forth appears to be what drew Susurkaev, a Khamzat Chimaev training partner, into the situation. After Fazil's loss to Brito, Susurkaev posted a photo of his hand with the caption, "Left hand 2-0 Namo cryer," an apparent reference to the alleged slaps.

UFC CEO Dana White had already hinted something happened before fight night, saying "some s**t" went down at the fighter hotel without giving specifics.

What This Means for Fazil's Career

Fazil is still just 10-2, and a single violent knockout loss doesn't have to be career-derailing on its own, especially if the weight cut and pre-fight chaos genuinely compromised him the way he described. But the story now follows him. Promoters and matchmakers will want to see how he responds physically before trusting him in a marquee spot again, and the noise around this fight likely does more damage to his stock than the actual finish does. For bettors tracking him going forward, this is a name where the outside-the-cage drama is now part of the profile. Any future Fazil fight will draw extra scrutiny on his camp, his cut, and his composure, all things sharp bettors weigh before trusting a prospect price after a rocky night like this one.

Fazil said he wanted to speak publicly about the incident rather than let it go unaddressed. "I didn't want to come out afterward making excuses," he said, "but I believe this needs to be talked about so people understand why I wasn't at my best."

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Namo Fazil say happened before his Contender Series fight?

Namo Fazil said 15 Chechen men confronted him in his hotel room during his weight cut the night before Dana White's Contender Series, and that UFC middleweight prospect Baisangur Susurkaev slapped him twice during the altercation.

Who did Namo Fazil lose to on Dana White's Contender Series?

Namo Fazil lost by knockout to Brazilian prospect Kaik Brito just 12 seconds into the third round on Aug. 18, 2026, at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, ending his seven-fight winning streak.

Why did Baisangur Susurkaev confront Namo Fazil?

The tension reportedly stemmed from Namo Fazil repeatedly calling out UFC welterweight prospect Islam Dulatov for a fight in Abu Dhabi, which drew in Susurkaev, a training partner of Khamzat Chimaev.