Brito relinquishes Oktagon belt a second time to chase UFC contract on DWCS

Kaik Brito has given up the Oktagon welterweight championship for the second time, once again betting his title on a shot at a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series. The Brazilian faces Namo Fazil on Tuesday, 18 August at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, looking to convert the opportunity he narrowly missed in 2023.

Brito first vacated the Oktagon belt ahead of a 2023 DWCS appearance, only to suffer a majority decision loss to Oban Elliott — a result he still disputes. “I and many other people involved in MMA saw that I won that fight,” Brito told MMA Fighting. “But when something isn’t meant to be, there’s nothing you can do to make it happen.”

Rather than walk away from Oktagon, Brito rebuilt his standing in the promotion, eventually reclaiming the welterweight title with a spectacular spinning back-kick knockout of Ronald Paradeiser in February. He had been scheduled to defend against Amiran Gogoladze in September when the DWCS call arrived.

“It was a little difficult because I had already gone through the journey again,” Brito said. “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. I see my future there.”

His opponent, Namo Fazil, arrives in Las Vegas on a seven-fight winning streak accumulated across ONE Championship, UAE Warriors, and MVP MMA, where he most recently earned a submission victory. The unbeaten run makes Fazil a credible test for Brito, who insists his mindset has shifted since the Elliott defeat.

“The only thing that’s different is that I’m in a different moment now, with a different mindset and more prepared, and I’m going to put on a show in there,” Brito said. “I always look for the finish, whether it’s a submission or a knockout, and that isn’t going to change.”

A victory — ideally a finish — would put Brito in position to receive a UFC contract from Dana White at the conclusion of the card, fulfilling an ambition he has now sacrificed a regional title twice to pursue.