5 Defining Moments: Abdul Razak Alhassan

Abdul Razak Alhassan may have his flaws, but his radioactive power and a proclivity for the spectacular have made him a must-see attraction at more than a dozen Ultimate Fighting Championship shows.

The 39-year-old Elevation Fight Team export will set out in search of his first win in almost a year when he confronts Cesar Almeida in a UFC Fight Night 249 middleweight attraction this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Alhassan has compiled a 6-6 record with one no contest across his 13 appearances inside the Octagon. All 12 of his professional victories have come by knockout or technical knockout, 11 of them inside one round.

As Alhassan makes final preparations for his forthcoming battle with Almeida at 185 pounds, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:

1. Worth the Wait

The undefeated Al-Hassan lived up to the hype in his hotly anticipated organizational debut when he cut down Charlie Ward with first-round punches as part of the UFC Fight Night 99 undercard on Nov. 19, 2016 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ward met his end 53 seconds into Round 1. Operating in the shadows of the Gegard Mousasi-Uriah Hall main event, Al-Hassan floored the SBG Ireland rep with a short right uppercut inside the first 20 seconds, reset himself when the finish did not immediately materialize and connected with an overhand right that sent Ward crashing into the fence in a dazed and defenseless state. With that, referee Marc Goddard had seen enough.

2. Cracks in the Foundation

Omari Akhmedov cooled some of the heat surrounding Alhassan when he took a split decision from the previously unbeaten knockout artist in a three-round UFC Fight Night 109 welterweight showcase on May 28, 2017 at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. Judge Jorgen Segerlind saw it 29-28 for Alhassan, while Mans Nilsson and Andy Roberts scored it 30-27 for Akhmedov. Alhassan had his moments on the feet but saw his efforts short-circuited by repeated takedowns from the Russian grappler. Akhmedov withstood the judo black belt’s ferocious punching power—Alhassan had stopped all seven of his previous opponents in less than 90 seconds—and struck for multiple takedowns in all three rounds, moving to a mounted crucifix in the second and full mount in the third.

3. Taste of His Own Medicine

Murcielago MMA rep Kalinn Williams lamped “Judo Thunder” inside the first minute of their UFC Fight Night 182 co-headliner on Nov. 14, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Alhassan bowed out 30 seconds into Round 1. Williams set the tone with a few powerful leg kicks, then uncoiled. The fast-rising South Bend, Indiana, native countered a leg kick from Alhassan with a lightning-quick right hand down the middle. The Fortis MMA rep froze instantly upon impact and collapsed backward, his head bouncing violently off the canvas. Williams managed to deliver one more diving right hand on the already-unconscious judoka before referee Mark Smith could arrive on the scene.

4. High Note

Alhassan brought down Alessio Di Chirico with a head kick in the first round of their featured UFC on ESPN 30 prelim on Aug. 28, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was over just 17 seconds into Round 1. Seeking his first victory in nearly three years, Alhassan backed the Italian into the fence and caught him ducking. Shin met skull, Di Chirico hit the deck in a semi-conscious state and referee Herb Dean called for the stoppage. No follow-up shots were necessary. The win closed the book on Alhassan’s three-fight losing streak inside the middleweight division. It was the seventh sub-minute finish of his career.

5. Squeeze Play

Onetime Ring of Combat champion Joe Pyfer put Alhassan to sleep with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 229 co-main event on Oct. 7, 2023 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “Judo Thunder” lost his grip on reality 2:05 into Round 2, losing via submission for the first time in his 18-fight career. Pyfer let his intentions be known right out of the gate, as he secured multiple takedowns, hammered the body with punches in kicks, fed the brick-fisted judoka a steady jab and unleashed fast combinations. Alhassan answered with a series of low kicks early in the second round, only to concede a high-amplitude takedown. Pyfer bit down on the arm-triangle, cleared the legs and cut off blood flow with a tight, fight-ending squeeze.