Vitalii Yakymenko Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Vitalii Yakymenko is a Ukrainian bantamweight, the reigning KSW champion since February 2026. His professional record stands at 12 wins and 2 losses, built in Ukraine and then the Middle East before his Polish title run.

Career

Vitalii Yakymenko was born on August 30, 1996, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Trained at Hunter MMA, he turned professional on the Ukrainian regional circuits, where he built his case through submissions. On August 23, 2020, he submitted Sergey Litvinov by D’Arce choke at a Road to WWFC event held for the Kharkiv Open Cup, then followed up on September 19 with a guillotine win over Ruslan Kolomiets at Road to Kars FC 2.

On May 15, 2021, he suffered his first professional loss, stopped by a flying knee from Roman Akhremchik at World Warriors FC 19. He bounced back on September 25 by beating Albert Meliksetyan on points at WWFC 20, then finished him by TKO in a rematch at Professional League Storm 2 on December 18, 2021. These first four years shaped a style he would later refine on bigger stages.

Brave CF and FEN Career

Yakymenko expanded his reach into the Middle East and Eastern Europe. On April 23, 2023, he beat Mohammad Farhad by unanimous decision at Brave CF 70, before submitting Piotr Kamiński at FEN 49 in late August of the same year. He added another rear-naked choke submission over Maysara Mohamed at Brave CF 77 on December 5, 2023.

2024 confirmed his consistency at FEN: a TKO over Ismail Haidari at FEN 52 on February 17, then a rear-naked choke submission over Farid Alibabazade at FEN 54 on May 17. On November 23, 2024, he suffered his second professional loss, beaten on points by Jan Ciepłowski at FEN 57, a setback that directly preceded his move to KSW.

KSW Career

Yakymenko joined KSW in 2025. On September 20, he stopped Rogério Bontorin by TKO at KSW 110 and earned the KO of the Night bonus. On February 21, 2026, he faced Sebastian Przybysz for the vacant bantamweight title at KSW 115 and won by split decision, becoming champion.

In a promotion that also counts Mamed Khalidov and Salahdine Parnasse among its ranks, Yakymenko defended his title on October 10, 2026, at KSW 122. He submitted Marcello Morelli by kneebar in the fifth round, at 1:09, pushing his record to 12 wins and 2 losses.

Fighting Style

Vitalii Yakymenko’s record shows a well-rounded fighter: 4 wins by KO or TKO and 5 by submission among his 12 victories, against only a single decision loss. His kneebar title win over Marcello Morelli shows an ability to finish on the ground even in the late rounds of a five-round fight, after already showing his power against Rogério Bontorin.

Record

• Professional record: 12 wins, 2 losses
• Wins by KO or TKO: 4
• Wins by submission: 5
• Wins by decision: 3
• Title: KSW bantamweight champion since February 21, 2026

Fighter Profile

• Full name: Vitalii Yakymenko
• Nickname: none on record
• Born: August 30, 1996, in Kharkiv, Ukraine
• Nationality: Ukrainian
• Height: 5’5″ (165 cm)
• Reach: 5’7″ (169 cm)
• Division: bantamweight
• Team: Hunter MMA
• Coach: not reported
• Base: mixed, striking and submissions

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.sherdog.com
• www.tapology.com