Jacob Malkoun Record: 10-3-0

A harsh UFC welcome and the rebuild

Malkoun's Octagon debut at UFC 254 in October 2020 was as rough as they come, a first-round knockout loss to Phil Hawes that handed him the first defeat of his career. He responded by leaning fully into his strengths, grinding out a unanimous decision over the powerful Abdul Razak Alhassan in April 2021, smothering one of the division's heaviest hitters with wrestling and control. He kept that formula going at UFC 271 in February 2022, outpointing the unbeaten AJ Dobson over three rounds.

Stepping up against the division

A unanimous-decision loss to contender Brendan Allen at UFC 275 in June 2022 showed the gap between gatekeeper and top-ten, but Malkoun bounced right back with a decision win over Nick Maximov in October 2022. His September 2023 bout with Cody Brundage ended in chaos, recorded as a first-round disqualification loss after an illegal elbow. He rebounded emphatically in March 2024, stopping Andre Petroski with a second-round strike to the body, then strung together his best stretch yet: a unanimous decision over the unbeaten Torrez Finney at UFC 325 in January 2026 and another decision win over veteran Gerald Meerschaert in May 2026.

Fighting style

Malkoun is a wrestling-and-grappling-driven middleweight, and his 10-3 record reflects it: seven of his ten wins have come by decision against three knockouts and a 30% finish rate. His bread and butter is takedowns and relentless top control, where his jiu-jitsu black belt and chain wrestling let him neutralize strikers and bank rounds. The honest knock on his game is finishing power, with the bulk of his wins decided on the scorecards, and his lone knockout loss to Hawes exposed the risk he carries early before he can impose his grappling and take fights into the deep, controlling waters where he thrives.

Career highlights

• Wins over unbeaten prospects — outpointed AJ Dobson and Torrez Finney, handing both their first professional losses on the sport's biggest stage.
• Grappling-led resurgence — bounced back from a debut knockout loss with control-heavy wins over Abdul Razak Alhassan and others to establish himself in the UFC.
• Elite camp pedigree — a Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt sharpening daily alongside former champion Robert Whittaker at PMA Super Martial Arts.