“Fresh Prince” is back in the win column.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Phil Rowe pulled off a wild comeback victory this past weekend (Sat., May 23, 2026) when he submitted fellow ex-UFC fighter Jacob Kilburn in the main event of Island Fights 97 inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Biloxi, Mississippi.
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But things nearly went sideways instantly.
Just seconds into the opening round, Kilburn blasted Rowe with a huge shot that dropped him immediately, and then Kilburn jumped into Rowe’s guard and started unloading punches.
Fortunately for Rowe, his absurd toughness showed up once again.
After surviving the early barrage and spending a couple of minutes working from his back, Rowe regained control of the fight before eventually locking up a tight triangle choke that forced Kilburn to tap.
Check out the finish below:
For Rowe (12-7), it was a much-needed bounce-back performance after being released from the UFC earlier this year following a split decision loss to Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani at UFC Houston.
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Honestly, the release surprised quite a few fans.
While Rowe only went 4-5 inside the Octagon, most of his fights were fun chaos. The towering Welterweight developed a reputation for violent scraps and dramatic finishes, earning stoppage victories over Orion Cosce (watch highlights), Jason Witt, Niko Price, and Ange Loosa (watch highlights).
The problem throughout his UFC run was consistency.
Injuries, layoffs and weight-cut issues repeatedly slowed his momentum, and despite earning his UFC contract on Season 3 of Contender Series back in 2019, Rowe only managed to compete nine times inside the promotion.
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He also missed weight three separate times during that stretch.
Still, at 35 years old, Rowe probably still has enough excitement and finishing ability to eventually fight his way back to the UFC if he can string together some wins … but time is ticking fast.
As for Kilburn, things continue heading in the opposite direction.
The former UFC Featherweight has now lost six straight fights dating back to his Octagon tenure.
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