UFC on ABC 9: Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal

Muslim Salikhov and Carlos Leal met in a welterweight showdown at UFC on ABC 9 on July 26, 2025, inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the fight barely had time to breathe before it was over. From the opening bell, both men stepped into range, but it was Salikhov’s trademark timing that changed everything. Carlos Leal tried to press forward with early aggression, only to be met with a perfectly timed right hook that snapped his head back and sent him crashing to the canvas just 42 seconds into the first round, prompting a clean walk‑off knockout as the referee dived in to stop the bout.

This victory showcased why Salikhov remains one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport even at 41 years of age. The “King of Kung Fu” extended his record to 22 wins with his 15th career first‑round knockout, underlining that experience and precision can shut the lights out faster than raw aggression. For Leal, the loss marked his second consecutive first‑round defeat and left him at 22‑7, a frustrating outcome for a fighter who had promised to make a statement after feeling robbed in his previous trip to Abu Dhabi.

The emotional stakes for Leal had been high. In the lead‑up, he admitted that the memory of a controversial decision loss in Abu Dhabi the year before had been driving him to finish Salikhov early so that judges could not play a part. That pressure translated into a fast start, but in the end it also left openings that Muslim Salikhov capitalized on. In a flash, the Brazilian’s hopes of redemption were silenced by the Russian veteran’s counterpunching mastery.

As the crowd erupted at the walk‑off finish, the image of Salikhov calmly turning away from a fallen opponent summed up the entire fight: composure overcoming urgency. The quick stoppage added yet another highlight to Salikhov’s career reel and cemented his current three‑fight winning streak, while Leal will be forced to regroup once more. In a single exchange, this short but spectacular bout reaffirmed how unforgiving mixed martial arts can be when timing and power meet opportunity.