LAS VEGAS -- Only 11 days into 2025, the race for the MMA Knockout of the Year may be over.
César Almeida was dropped by a right hand from Abdul Razak Alhassan midway through the first round of their middleweight bout Saturday on the main card of UFC Vegas 101 at Apex. Alhassan is an extraordinarily powerful puncher and a vicious finisher. And after dropping Almeida, he went for the finish hard.
Too hard, as it turns out.
He lost his technique and was throwing wildly at Almeida, trying to get the knockout. But Almeida is a veteran kickboxer who has competed in Glory, and even hurt, he remains dangerous.
Did Alhassan ever find that out.
Almeida caught him with a perfectly placed left hook that put Alhassan to sleep instantly. It was vicious, it was brutal, it was violent and if it's not the 2025 KO of the Year in MMA, we are in for a treat. Alhassan was throwing a left hook and it was wide. Almeida's hook was short, tight and quick and got home just before Alhassan's.
Alhassan didn't move for several scary moments as the bout ended at 4:16 of the first. Almeida said it was the best knockout of his career.
"He hits so hard and is so strong," Almeida said of Alhassan. "I knew this when I signed. The fight was a dangerous fight. But we needed this to grow in the division and to show the UFC."
He showed the UFC, and everyone else, that he's no one to be trifled with, nor a guy one can safely abandon defense against.
Alhassan has won 12 pro MMA fights, all 12 of them coming by knockout. When he hits you, you feel it. But one of his traits in his losses has been his tendency to go so hard for the knockout that he leaves himself exposes to counter strikes.
That's what happened Saturday and he took a nap courtesy of one of the best left hooks you'll ever see.
FINISHED THE JOB IN THE FIRST ROUND 💥
— UFC (@ufc) January 12, 2025
Cesar Almeida took care of business at #UFCVegas101! pic.twitter.com/KGswlx4ejo
Almeida was supposed to fight for the Glory middleweight title in 2023, but missed weight and it became a non-title bout. But that shows the level he's at in kickboxing, and he is a guy who remains composed when hurt.
"I don't think he made a mistake," Almeida said. "He had 12 knockouts and you have to believe in your hands. ... I don't think he made a mistake, but you take risks when you do that."
So he was able to defend and try to regain his composure. And when Alhassan abandoned any semblance of technique in an all-out bid for a KO, Almeida was able to capitalize.
He's now 3-1 in the UFC after earning a contract with the promotion via a win on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. His only loss was a split decision to Roman Kopylov, who knocked out Chris Curtis earlier on the show Saturday.
Full results of UFC Vegas 101
Main card
Mackenzie Dern submission 3 Amanda Ribas, armbar, 4:56.
Santiago Ponzinibbio TKO3 Carlston Harris, 3:13.
Cesar Almeida KO1 Abdul Razak Alhassan, 4:16.
Roman Kopylov TKO3 Chris Curtis, 4:59.
Christian Rodriguez W3 Austin Bashi, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
Punahele Soriano TKO1 Uros Medic 0:31.
Preliminary card
Felipe Bunes submission 1 Jose Johnson, armbar, 2:04.
Marco Tulio TKO1 Ihor Potieria, 3:04.
Jacobe Smith KO1 Preston Parsons, 1:13.
Ernesta Kareckaite W3 Nicolle Caliari, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29.
Bruno Lopes W3 Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
Fatima Kline TKO2 Viktoriia Dudakova, 4:26.
Nurullo Aliev W3 Joe Solecki, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.