MMA Series middleweight contender Saveliy Kurochkin has set his sights on the biggest stages in the sport.

The 26-year-old, riding a four-fight winning streak in MMA Series, says his long-term goal is to establish himself among the best middleweights in Russia and eventually earn a shot in the UFC.

Kurochkin’s latest victory came Sept. 5 at MMA Series 95, where the Druzhina representative needed less than three minutes to finish Shamshodi Rozizoda. Kurochkin scored a first-round knockout at the 2:57 mark.

The win moved Kurochkin into the No. 1 spot in the MMA Series middleweight rankings, but he has no plans to stop there.

“My goal right now is to reach the top of Russian and world MMA,” Kurochkin said. “I believe I have everything it takes to dominate at middleweight. In the future, I don’t see anyone in this division being able to compete with me.

“I want to get to the UFC. My record is 8-1 right now, and I have a lot of finishes. Give me two more years, and I’ll be ready.”

Kurochkin’s recent results back up his aggressive approach.

Before the win over Rozizoda, he stopped Azamat Dzhigkaev by second-round TKO. Prior to that, Kurochkin defeated Umar Dmitriev after Dmitriev’s corner called a stop to the fight.

Kurochkin has now earned finishes in each of his past three MMA Series appearances, improving his professional record to 8-1.

Kurochkin has previously identified the MMA Series championship as one of the key steps toward reaching the international stage. With four consecutive wins and the No. 1 ranking at middleweight, a title opportunity appears to be the next logical step in his rise.