Nasrat Haqparast

Nasrat Haqparast (born August 22, 1995) is an Afghan mixed martial artist (MMA) who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the UFC.

Background
Haqparast was born in Germany to Afghan parents from Kandahar who came as refugees from Afghanistan. He attended kickboxing classes as his parents believed he was overweight at fourteen years old. Subsequently, Haqparast joined an MMA class and decided to be an MMA fighter after witnessing a sparring session in the room next to the kickboxing class.

Early career
Haqparast started his professional MMA career in 2012 and amassed a record of 8–1 before being signed by UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Haqparast made his UFC debut on October 21, 2017, against Marcin Held, replacing injured Teemu Packalén at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast was scheduled to face Alex Reyes on March 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov. However, on March 8, it was reported that Alex Reyes pulled out of the fight due to injury and he was replaced by Nad Narimani. The bout was scrapped on the day of the event as Haqparast was deemed unfit to fight by the medical team due to an infectious eye condition.

His next fight came on July 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 134 against Marc Diakiese. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast faced Thibault Gouti on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Haqparast was expected to face John Makdessi on March 23, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 148. However, on March 13, 2019, it was reported that Haqparast was pulled from the bout due to injury.

Haqparast faced on August 3, 2019 Joaquim Silva on UFC on ESPN 5. He won the fight via knockout in the second round. The win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus award.

Haqparast faced Drew Dober on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Haqparast faced Alexander Muñoz on August 8, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast was scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan on January 24, 2021 at UFC 257. However, on the day of the weigh-ins, Haqparast pulled out of the fight, citing illness.

Haqparast was scheduled to face Don Madge, replacing injured Guram Kutateladze, on March 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 187. However, Madge withdrew from the bout due to visa issues and was replaced by UFC newcomer Rafa García. Haqparast won the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast faced Dan Hooker on September 25, 2021, at UFC 266. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast faced Bobby Green on February 12, 2022, at UFC 271. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Haqparast faced John Makdessi on September 3, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 209. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Haqparast was scheduled to face Jamie Mullarkey February 12, 2023, at UFC 284. However, Haqparast withdrew due to undisclosed reason and was replaced by promotional newcomer Francisco Prado.

Haqparast was scheduled to face Sam Patterson on September 2, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 226. However, Patterson pulled out due to health issues, and he was replaced by Landon Quinones, with the pair meeting the following week at UFC 293. Haqparast won the fight by unanimous decision.

Haqparast faced Jamie Mullarkey on December 9, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 233. He won the fight via knockout in round one. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Haqparast faced Jared Gordon on June 22, 2024, at UFC on ABC 6. He won the fight by a close split decision.

Championships and accomplishments

 * Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Thibault Gouti
 * Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Joaquim Silva and Jamie Mullarkey

Personal life
Haqparast was a mechanical engineering student at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.

When Haqparast made his UFC debut, he was dubbed by several media members as a “mini” version of middleweight fighter Kelvin Gastelum due to their close physical resemblance. This has resulted in many media outlets comparing their fighting styles often.

Haqparast's mother died in September 2021, which was weeks prior to his fight at UFC 266.

Haqparast previously fought under the Afghan flag in the UFC, but revealed on his social networks that he was no longer allowed to do so. At UFC Fight Night 209, Haqparast announced that he will represent Morocco from September 3, 2022, onwards, due to training and living there.