LAS VEGAS – Abdul Razak Alhassan tried to mix things up early with some wrestling, but ultimately, his crushing power led to another early finish.
Alhassan (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) took on the debuting Claudio Ribeiro on the prelims of UFC Fight Night 217 in a middleweight bout that promised to produce a violent finish. The bout took place at the UFC Apex and aired on ESPN+.
Ribeiro (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) focused on attacking the legs of Alhassan early with hard calf kicks. Alhassan ate a few of them before shooting in for a takedown, leading to a clinch against the cage. After breaking free, Ribeiro went back to the leg kicks and added a crisp right hand straight down the pipe to pop Alhassan’s head back. Another clinch initiated by Alhassan slowed the action, but he was able to sneak in some powerful short strikes before the horn.
