Yousri Belgaroui took a few attempts to prove himself to the UFC brass, but now that he’s in the promotion, he’s proven to have been a proper addition.
At UFC Fight Night 271 on Saturday, Belgaroui (10-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) played with his food before he ate it as he picked up opponent Mansur Abdul-Malik (9-1-1 MMA, 3-1-1 UFC) with leg kicks before a big knee to the body ended the fight at 3:39 of Round 3.
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The middleweight bout took place on the main card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Belgaroui is a former Glory Kickboxing title challenger and current teammate of Alex Pereira, who closely watched the performance Saturday. Despite multiple attempts at a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Belgaroui had to wait for a short-notice opportunity. He made the most of it when he pulverized Azamat Bekov in October.
Prior to Saturday’s loss, Abdul-Malik had picked up a lot of momentum of his own, finishing Dusko Todorovic, Nick Klein and Antonio Trocoli, while also fighting to a draw vs. Cody Brundage. Saturday marked his first professional loss.
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Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 271 results:
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Yousri Belgaroui def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via TKO (knee) – Round 3, 3:39
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Seattle video: Belgaroui violently dismantles Abdul-Malik
