Bassil Hafez Record: 9-5-1

UFC career

Hafez made his UFC debut in July 2023 on extremely short notice against surging contender Jack Della Maddalena, and despite a brutal weight cut he pushed the future title challenger to a razor-thin split decision — a loss on the scorecards, but a performance that earned widespread respect and a Fight of the Night bonus. He returned in June 2024 at UFC 302 and notched his first Octagon victory, a unanimous-decision win over Mickey Gall. The momentum stalled in November 2024 at UFC 309, where he was stopped by Oban Elliott via third-round knockout, a setback against a rising welterweight.

Fighting style

Hafez is a grappler at heart, and his record shows it: four of his nine wins have come by submission — armbars, a kimura, a triangle and a rear-naked choke — alongside four decisions and a single knockout, for a finish rate around 56 percent. He is durable, relentless and comfortable in deep waters, the kind of fighter who turns bouts into grueling tests of will and is rarely dominated. The honest counterpoint is a thin finishing margin on the feet and a tendency to come up short on the cards: four of his five losses are decisions, reflecting how often he competes in close, hard-fought fights without quite tilting them his way. His short-notice showing against Della Maddalena, however, proved he belongs against top opposition.

Career highlights

• Fight of the Night debut — took Jack Della Maddalena to a split decision on short notice and earned a performance bonus in defeat.
• First UFC win at UFC 302 — outpointed Mickey Gall over three rounds for a unanimous decision.
• Submission-savvy grappler — four of his career wins have come by submission, the backbone of a gritty, grind-it-out style honed at Elevation Fight Team.