Hamdy Abdelwahab Record: 7-1-0

A history-making UFC arrival

Abdelwahab made history at UFC 277: Peña vs. Nunes 2 in July 2022 as the first Egyptian to compete in the Octagon. The bout against Don'Tale Mayes was initially ruled a win but was later overturned to a no-contest, an asterisk on an otherwise landmark debut. A lengthy layoff followed before he returned to the cage.

Establishing himself

Back in action in February 2025, Abdelwahab edged Jamal Pogues by split decision before running into a setback that June, dropping a unanimous decision to Mohammed Usman. He bounced back in his most notable performance to date, outpointing the seasoned 23-9 veteran Chris Barnett over three rounds by unanimous decision at UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane in October 2025 — a poised, technical effort that moved his record to 7-1 and showed he could win without relying solely on power.

Fighting style

Abdelwahab is a wrestling-anchored heavyweight whose Olympic-level Greco-Roman base lets him dictate where the fight happens, and his hands are heavy enough to end nights early — five of his seven wins have come by knockout or TKO, with the remaining two by decision, for a 71% finish rate. The decision wins over Pogues and Barnett show a more measured side, a fighter who can grind out rounds with positioning and pace when the finish isn't there. The honest knock is activity and consistency: a long Octagon layoff and a grappling loss outside MMA hint at a career that has had to make up for lost time, and his unanimous-decision defeat to Usman showed he can be out-worked when he doesn't impose his clinch and wrestling.

Career highlights

• First Egyptian in the UFC — made history by becoming the first fighter from Egypt to compete inside the Octagon at UFC 277.
• Olympic wrestling pedigree — represented Egypt in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics before translating that base into a 71% MMA finish rate.
• Marquee win over a veteran — outpointed 23-9 heavyweight Chris Barnett by unanimous decision at UFC 321 to push his record to 7-1.