In the aftermath of UFC Vegas 35, one fighter on the card re-signed with the promotion while another was released.
Heading into UFC Vegas 35, Abdul Razak Alhassan had his back against the wall. Once viewed as one of the most dangerous prospects in the promotion, Alhassan found himself smack dab in the middle of a three-fight skid. Saturday, however, the Ghanaian returned back to his knockout ways when he took home his third Performance of the Night bonus with a head-kick KO over his opponent, Alessio Di Chirico, only 17 seconds into the bout.
This bounce-back showing was rewarded with something even sweeter than a $50,000 bonus: an opportunity to earn many more in the future. Alhassan took to Twitter to announce the news on Wednesday.
“I’m excited about my contract renewal with @ufc and I greatly appreciate @mickmaynard2 for giving me the opportunity to prove myself. And by God’s grace, I will bring the thunder and excitement and put the division on notice! And thank you to my @dominance_mma family! @aliabdelaziz000“
The 36-year-old Alhassan now has a UFC record of 5-4, with all five wins coming by way of KO/TKO. Alhassan will now look to make good on his fresh start, but the same cannot be said for Darren “The Dentist” Stewart. Stewart also faced a pivotal bout at UFC Vegas 35 when he took on Dustin Jacoby but came out with a different outcome.
The loss to Jacoby made for the fourth consecutive fight that Stewart was not awarded a victory, with three losses and one no-contest during this stint. Now, the Englishman’s five-year UFC run will conclude with a promotional record of 5-8.
How do you think Abdul Razak Alhassan will perform during this new contract with the UFC?
