Mansur Abdul-Malik nearly gave up a massive upset earlier tonight (Sat., Feb. 22, 2025) at UFC Seattle LIVE on ESPN+ from inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash., but the former Contender Series standout maintained his composure and eventually stopped short-notice replacement, Nick Klein, with a nasty second-round TKO (punches).
Abdul-Mailk came into this fight a ridiculous -1350 betting favorite as Klein was filling in on very short notice. The undefeated Abdul-Malik looked scary in his Octagon debut against Dusko Todorovic back in Nov. 2024 so fight fans assumed he’d be able to handily defeat an unknown newcomer who had little time to prepare.
MMA isn’t always what it seems to be.
Despite being a massive betting underdog and given limited time to train for his official UFC debut, Klein leveled Abdul-Malik with a sneaky spinning elbow midway through the first round. Abdul-Malik was stunned, which allowed Klein to work some grappling and shock those in attendance who were expecting an early wipeout.
Abdul-Malik showed resolve, though, as the bluechip prospect fought back in the second round and landed some powerful punches along the cage. Klein began to fade as Abdul-Malik unloaded more combinations to force the referee’s hand and earn himself the comeback TKO finish.
Check out the video highlights below and let us know what you thought of Abdul-Malik’s overall performance:
SPINNING ELBOW pic.twitter.com/x30UE4PTTb
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 23, 2025
MANSUR ABDUL-MALIK GETS THE FINISH AFTER A TOUGH FIRST ROUND AT #UFCSEATTLE pic.twitter.com/xJZJUC4k6R
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 23, 2025
For complete UFC Seattle results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.