Abu Dhabi. Fighter Steven Nguyen took a resounding victory at UFC Abu Dhabi, setting a record for knockdowns in an exciting preliminary fight against Mohammad Yahya , who ended up severely injured and with a completely disfigured eye .
Nguyen, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series, was known for his punching power, but the featherweight duo set UFC records in the prelims.
Nguyen and Yahya traded blows, but it was Yahya who took the brunt of the damage. Nguyen submitted Yahya six times, breaking the UFC record of five takedowns in a single fight. Steven Nguyen set a UFC knockdown record in an action-packed bout at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Yahya somehow survived all six rounds, losing the fight via corner knockout before the third round due to a shocking eye inflammation. He miraculously scored a knockdown in the second round, but his dream finish was thwarted by referee Jason Herzog.
Yahya barely made it to his corner after the first round, where his teammates dragged him to the bench. He took five hits after a brutal beating, and fortunately, the inflammation in his eye was reason enough for Herzog to stop the fight.
KNOCKDOWNS GALORE 😱 #UFCAbuDhabi
Watch our prelims LIVE NOW on @UFCFightPass 📺@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/f7o8nwoZZT
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 26, 2025
With any luck, Yahya will receive a Fight of the Night bonus for his performance, but it’s more likely that Nguyen will receive a performance bonus.
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