Kaik Brito has won his UFC contract, but the Brazilian welterweight also received an unexpected financial reward on top of his Contender Series victory.
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The 29-year-old knocked out Namo Fazil in the third round of Dana White’s Contender Series, finishing the former MVP MMA fighter with a stunning overhand right. And shortly after the fight, UFC welterweight Islam Dulatov, who also happens to be a former Versace model, recorded a message congratulating the Brazilian and offering him $5,000. He chose to personally praise and even reward Kaik Brito for the performance.
“What’s up, Kaik Brito? Congratulations on your huge win. Phenomenal performance,” he said on his social media. “Won both rounds before and knocked him out bad in the third round. So, as you know, the UFC is not giving any bonuses in the Contender Series, but Dulatov is giving $5,000 bonus to Kai Brito for this performance.
“Please, brother, contact me, send me your bank account, and we’re gonna send you $5,000 today. And this is not a joke; I mean, it’s for real. And yeah, huge congratulations again. I think Princess (Namo Fazil) is humbled now. And yeah, peace.”
This comes just days after ‘Grandson of Saladin’ called Islam Dulatov “a pretty s–y boy” and stated that no model should ever be seen as a UFC fighter.
“Islam Dulatov is one of them though, really s–y boy,” Fazil had said in a recent interview. “I’m not gonna lie. No model motherf—— should be f—— be a UFC fighter…
“They’re giving him easy fights. I be seeing how he looks… To me, he’s sweet. He’s feminine. He’s a female to me. He’s not a male to me.”
So, it seems like seeing Namo Fazil get knocked out truly was a satisfying sight to see for Dulatov.
It is also worth noting that even Kaik Brito and Namo Fazil had formed an impromptu rivalry ahead of their DWCS 88 main event, with the Brazilian eventually getting the final word inside the cage. The 29-year-old entered the bout with a 19-6 record, hoping to earn his way into the UFC after falling short on the Contender Series in 2023.
‘Grandson of Saladin,’ on the other hand, came in with a 10-1 record and a lot of hype after being one of the breakout names on Most Valuable Promotions’ Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card. And well, the fight lived up to its expectations.
Kaik Brito’s counterpunching and movement caused issues for the aggressive Fazil, yet the Kurdistani fighter kept applying pressure. Fazil’s durability kept him in the match, although Brito remained a threat throughout. And then came the third round.
The Brazilian unleashed a combination that culminated in a brilliantly placed overhand right just seconds before the end of the round. At 0:12 in Round 3, Namo Fazil was knocked out cold.
Fazil had previously competed on the undercard of Most Valuable Promotions: Rousey vs. Carano on May 16, 2026, defeating Jake Babian by second-round anaconda choke at 0:58, and was the favorite for many fans, especially considering his eight-fight winning streak headed into this fight.
However, in the end, it was Kaik Brito who extended his winning streak to three and, more significantly, secured him the UFC contract he had been chasing for so long.
Kaik Brito vacated his Oktagon title again to get a shot at the UFC
Kaik Brito’s latest Contender Series appearance was another major gamble in his long-running pursuit of the UFC. The Brazilian had previously won the Oktagon MMA welterweight championship before accepting his first Contender Series opportunity in 2023. However, he lost a majority decision against Oban Elliott, forcing him to return to the European promotion.
Despite believing he had done enough to win the bout, Brito refused to let the defeat derail his ambition. The 29-year-old returned to Oktagon MMA, rebuilt himself, and reclaimed the welterweight title, defeating Ronald Paradeiser with a sensational spinning-back knockout in February.
In fact, he was all set to defend his crown against Amiran Gogoladze in September before the UFC came calling again. This time, Kaik Brito was confident enough in himself to relinquish the belt and pursue the opportunity he had wanted from the beginning.
“It was a little difficult [to leave Oktagon] because I had already gone through the journey again,” Brito told MMA Junkie ahead of his DWCS fight. “I had built the story again, walked every step of the path again, earned another opportunity, and became champion again. I have a huge amount of love for Oktagon, but my goal, my dream, is the UFC.
“It always has been, from the very beginning, to put on a show and build a legacy there. I built a beautiful story in Oktagon, but for me, that ended there. I really want to make it to the UFC and make history there. I see my future there. It wasn’t easy, but that’s the goal.”
Well, after finally obtaining his UFC contract with this fantastic knockout win over Namo Fazil, it seems like Kaik Brito can now begin the next chapter of that journey, with an extra $5,000 coming his way thanks to Islam Dulatov.
